No Music, No Life
by Brandi Heir
Summary: AU and OOC. Kel has always loved music and the Corus Knight's Academy for Music has produced all the big names that Tortall loves so much. Ten years ago, a proclamation said girls could enter. But none have been accepted until now. Rated T for language.
1. Lectures and Wedding Parties

okay, so i've had this idea in my head in a long time. it takes place in a AU and the chracters are kinda OOC. i always see stories about Kel on a football team or something physical, which makes sense. but i saw one fanfic, dont know who wrote it, about kel in music and i loved it. this idea popped into my head and hasnt left me so i decided to see what its reception would be like.

song in the chapter is run, don't walk by hey monday

hope you enjoy it!!!

_

* * *

I am restless, and I keep trembling  
Everyone watch me as I descend  
Into a feeling that's overwhelming me  
I finally stopped, stopped making sense_

_I can't stop talking to myself, I'm a desperate cry for help_

_Run don't walk the sky is falling through  
Don't talk, tonight I'm so confused  
I'm lost, I'm lost with you  
I don't care where we are, or where we're headed to  
But I know I'm lost, I'm lost with you, with you_

_Your mouth keeps moving  
But I've lost focus now  
Clock keeps ticking, times running out  
Where we're headed there is no heading back  
Tripped and ugly I'm losing ground_

_I can't stop talking to myself, I'm a desperate cry for help_

_Run don't walk the sky is falling through  
Don't talk, tonight I'm so confused  
I'm lost, I'm lost with you  
I don't care where we are, or where we're headed to  
But I know I'm lost, I'm lost with you, with you_

_For the record, when I'm with you  
Things are looking better for once  
Everything is brighter than the darkness before you_

_Run don't walk the sky is falling through  
Don't talk, tonight I'm so confused  
I'm lost, I'm lost with you_

_Run don't walk the sky is falling through  
Don't talk, tonight I'm so confused  
I'm lost, I'm lost with you  
I don't care where we are, or where we're headed to  
But I know I'm lost, I'm lost with you_

"Kel!"

A young girl sitting at a desk with her guitar took the pencil out of her mouth and wrote a few more notes on the piece of sheet music in front of her. She fiddled around with the rhythm before, nodding to herself, she turned to her computer and started the recording she had already made.

"Kel!"

"One minute, Ma!" Kel cried, brushing her mouse-brown bangs out of her dreamy hazel eyes. The recording started and she hummed along with it. When it reached the end of the intro, she began to play. The notes wafted under the drum part she had already written and mingled perfectly. Too soon for Kel, the song ended and she played the last chords.

"Kel, we're going to be late!" Her mother's voice shouted up the steps. She paid it no mind and finishing writing down the last chord progressions on the sheet music. Satisfied with her morning's progress, she stood up and placed her Ibanez Talman TCM60 Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar reverently back on its stand.

"Kel, if you don't come now-"

"I'm coming, Ma. I'm coming!" Kel grabbed her jacket from her chair and turned off her Mac before running lightly down the steps. She stopped at in the front hallway to get her phone as her mother, Ilane, and her father, Piers stood waiting for her at the door. Kel's sisters, Oranie and Adalia, were already outside by the car, giggling about one thing or another, flipping their long brown hair as if they were in a shampoo commercial. As Kel appeared at the door, Ilane glared at her daughter half-heartedly.

"Keladry Mindelan, just because you applied to The Corus Knight's Academy of Music doesn't mean you can-"

"Blow off family get-togethers to play music," Kel finished, grinning off the lecture that was the same every time. "I'm sorry Ma, I'll try not to let it happen again."

Ilane sighed, knowing this was the best she could get from her music obsessed daughter. Piers grinned down at his youngest daughter, hazel eyes glittering.

"See to it that you don't," he said good naturedly. "Now, shall we go to Patricine's wedding party or not?"

* * *

To Kel, the party celebrating Patricine Mindelan and Toshuro Akaneru's soon-to-be-union was rather boring and dull. Even though she had her musical brothers, Anders, Inness, and Avinar, to keep her company, she found herself feeling lonely and awkward with most of Patricine's guests. Toshuro's family were kind beyond belief and so were his Yamani friends but they were strangers to her and Patricine's friends squealed often, making Kel want to strangle them. Her third-oldest brother, Conal, was strangely absent but she didn't mind that. In fact, she rather liked it. Conal was a bully and didn't differentiate between family and foe.

"Kel!" Kel turned to the voice, taking a sip from her Shirley Temple. It was Patricine, bubbly and shallow as ever. She pranced over, in a white dress with a very revealing v-neck that accented her already large chest and hips. Her hair, as always was styled in the latest fashion, side bangs sweeping across her forehead with her usually straight hair curled into long ringlets. She wore strapping white heels that Kel thought would be murder just by walking in them. Patricine hugged her fifteen year old sister tightly and Kel had to hold the drink away, in fear of a spill. Finally, Patricine let go and Kel could breathe again. "Oh, little sister, it's been so long! You've gotten so tall and…" Patricine's ever judging eyes raked Kel's figure, "skinny." Patricine clearly didn't like what she saw of Kel's curves. Kel blushed and looked down at the floor, remembering why she didn't really like Patricine. She always examined Kel and judged her on her appearance.

"Hi, Patricine," Kel murmured shyly. "Congratulations, I hope you two will be happy."

Patricine's eyes softened a little and she hugged Kel again. "Aw, thanks, Kel. Toshuro is really sweet and nice. I think we'll be fine."

Kel was about to say something when one of Patricine's friends called her from across the room and Patricine flounced away after giving Kel another strangling hug. Sitting down at the table, Kel played with the napkins and drained her drink. Music came on and couples began to dance. Kel made a face. This was horrible torture, watching old, well, old_er_, people dance was torture. When a particularly old couple began to grind against each other, she squeezed her eyes shut and banged her forehead onto the table.

_This is going to be a _long_ night._

_

* * *

_Well? tell me what you think. if anyone wants to know any musical terms, PM me or review and ask me. _  
_


	2. The Letter

Hope everyone liked the first chapter! here's the second. no songs in this one but the next will be chock full i promise!

* * *

"D major, A major, E minor then G major," Kel sang along as she played her song, making sure she got her chords right on her keyboard.

"Will you turn your volume down?" Oranie shouted from the room above Kel's. "I'm talking on the phone!"

Kel rolled her eyes but did as Oranie asked, not willing to get into a shouting match. She was just finishing warming up her fingers when Ilane's voice drifted up the stairs.

"Keladry, you'd better come down here." Ilane's voice sounded very serious, so serious Kel couldn't remember the last time she had heard it that way. Immediately, she turned off her keyboard and bolted down the stairs. She found her parents, Anders, Inness, and Avinar seated around the counter island in the kitchen, a pile of mail between them. Ilane held a slim cream colored envelope in her hand with a red and gold logo on it. It took Kel a moment to see the red music note surrounded by a golden Renaissance font "C". The logo for the Corus Knight's Academy.

A bubble of nervousness welled up inside her but she pushed it down. Her dream had always been to go there, ever since she had discovered Corus Knight's Academy for Music and seen all the big names it had produced. But the Academy was a boy's school. Only recently, after it was discovered that Alanna Swoop, formerly Trebond, or her better known name, the Lioness, had hidden her sex for the four years of the high school, had the Chancellor, who was one of the Lioness' best friends, Jonathan Conté, agreed to let girls attend. So far none had been accepted and Kel was terrified of a refusal.

"Did you read it already?" She asked nervously, hanging back at the doorway. Her parents and brothers shook their heads. Ilane pushed the letter across the counter and Kel carefully took it up, in awe that this moment had finally come. She opened the envelope as if it were sacred and was just about to pull out the letter when a thought occurred to her.

"What if I don't get it?" She asked, panicky.

"That's fine," Ilane said, smiling. "There are other schools."

Kel nodded and put her fingers to the paper once more.

"Do you think I got in?" She looked at her parents worriedly.

"We don't know, Kel," Piers smiled too.

Once again, she was about to pull out the paper. Another thought occurred to her and she opened her mouth to voice it but Inness, who, along with Anders and Conal, were Academy gradates, interrupted her before she could get a word out.

"Just read the letter, Kel!" He told her, exasperated. Kel ducked her head sheepishly and pulled out the piece of paper. For a moment, she stared at it. Such an insignificant sheet of paper could determine the rest of her life. Then carefully, she opened the letter and began to read.

_Dear Mr. & Mrs. Mindelan_

_We are pleased to accept Keladry Mindelan into the Corus Knight's Academy for Music on a probationary period of the 2009-2010 school year for the 9__th__ grade. Since Keladry is the first girl to openly attend the Academy, the probationary period is a precaution, should things go badly. The Vice-Chancellor, Wyldon Cavall, will evaluate Keladry at the end of the academic year and will announce whether or not she may return. _

_Boarding and bathing arrangements have been made for Keladry. Rules are enclosed. Keladry's schedule and list of books are also enclosed. Please buy her uniform from Palace Clerks. Lalasa Isran is recommended. Keladry's uniform should include:_

_School wear:_

_5 pairs of tan pants_

_*5 pairs of white collared short sleeved shirts_

_ *must have three buttons only_

_Formal wear:_

_3 pairs of red button down collared shirts_

_3 pairs of black dress pants_

_Dinners, Saturdays and Sundays are free-dress. Please bring appropriate attire. If Keladry would like to bring skirts or dresses, they must be no more then 6 inches above the knee. We look forward to seeing Keladry at the beginning of the new school year. If we can be of any assistance or you have any questions, please call the main office. _

_Sincerely, _

_Jonathan Conté_

_Head Chancellor_

_

* * *

_

Kel paced back and forth in the kitchen, trying to decide what the letter had offered. Second best? To stay only if the Vice Chancellor thought she was good enough? If she could get into the school, wasn't she already good enough?

"It's not the reply we expected," Piers said at last. "The declaration of ten years ago was that girls could be accepted. Nothing was said about probation then."

"Kel?" Her mother asked. "You can say what you feel. We'll understand."

It took Kel a moment to register what her mother had said. She tried a smile and looked down at the Chancellor's letter. She had hoped she would be able to go to the Academy but from the tone of the letter, perhaps she ought to not count on it.

"It's not right." She said quietly, even fiercely. "No boys have probation. I'm supposed to be treated the same."

"Don't give them an answer yet," Piers said quickly, his hair, several shades lighter then Kel's, bobbing back and forth as he shook his head. "Take the letter with you. Think about what it says. You're not hasty, Kel–this is a bad time to start."

"Reflect as if you have all of time, even when time is short," added Ilane, quoting a Yamani proverb from their days in the Yamani Islands. Kel nodded and, taking a jacket from the rack by the door, her phone for her parent's peace of mind, and her iPod, she went for a walk to find somewhere quiet to think.

* * *

It was a sunny day and many people took advantage of the good weather. The park Kel usually went to was full of little kids and birthday parties with harried mothers chasing after little ones and teenagers playing on the courts. She went to her usual café but it too was full, the tables occupied and the line stretching along the café's length. Becoming discouraged, she tried the pool but that was a big mistake. It was loud, wet, and had kids running everywhere as the lifeguard shouted at them. Finally, as a last resort, since she could never think straight at home with all her family around her, she tried the mall. There were a million and one people there, girls giggling as boys rolled their eyes at each other, but she found a music store in an out of the way corner and went in. It was quiet inside and she took a deep breath, reveling in the silence. She went to the back of the store where all the music books were kept and flipped through them.

"It's not right." She muttered to herself, turning pages. "You're in school for four years. That's how the schools have worked forever. Now they're going to change that?" She didn't find anything interesting in the book so she put it back on the shelf and looked for a new one. "And just because I'm a girl in a previously all boys school? They ought to treat me the same. All I want is the same chance as the boys. No more, no less. That's right, isn't it?" She found a new book and began to look at the tabs in it. "School never put you on probation unless you're a criminal and it's not even them when that happens."

She put the book back on the shelf, her mind made up. If they couldn't treat her the same as they would the boys, then she wasn't going to settle for half portion. She would become a big musician some other way.

But no other music academy in Tortall was as good as Corus Knight's Academy. They were also public schools so they didn't have enough equipment either. For all she knew, they were already full with students. She sighed and pulled out her iPod, jamming the headphones in her ears. Turning up Seether and Amy Lee, she was about to leave when she caught sight of the TV in the corner of the store. It was a recording of the live concert the Queen's Riders, a band made up of high school kids that didn't have enough money to go to the big private schools, had done last night. Kel had almost gotten tickets for it but Patricine's wedding party was apparently more important. She remembered then that to even be put on the waiting list to the Academy was a big deal to some people, and suddenly, she felt guilty for being angry at only having the option to go for a year. At least she _could_ go. Queen's Riders were good but they weren't the Lioness or Raoul Malory Goldenlake or even Jonathan Conté.

She made her way back home and when she walked in through the door to the kitchen, everyone in it fell silent.

"I'll go." She said calmly. "I want to take the opportunity."

"And if you can't return at the end of the year?" Ilane asked.

"I'll still know more then I do now." Kel replied, shifting her weight on her feet. Her parents looked at each other for a long moment then her brothers. Finally, Piers gazed back at Kel.

"You better start packing then. We'll book a flight for you tonight."

Kel's face broke out into a grin and she nearly tackled her parents to the floor with her exuberant hugs.

* * *

Kel was going over her guitar and bass guitar travel bags, making sure they were in good condition and would do their job, when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called absent mindedly, finishing the guitar bag and moving on to the bass guitar bag, looking up as she did so. Anders stood in the doorway, leaning on his cane. Anders had been an amazing drummer before he got in a car accident and broke his leg. By the time they had gotten him to a hospital, it was deemed too painful to rebreak the leg and he was unable to continue his music career. But, he had met Vorinna Richcaffery a few years after the accident. They had hit it right off and now they had five children. The oldest, Lachran, was seven years younger then Kel. Anders and Kel had never really been close, especially since Kel and her parents had lived in the Yamani Islands for so long before returning.

"Can you talk for a moment?" Anders asked politely. Kel put her guitar bag aside and patted the bed next to her.

"Of course." She said. Anders smiled and limped in. He sat on the bed gratefully and rubbed his bad leg.

"I'm going to make this really short because I need to get home to Vorinna and the kids but I wanted to give you some advice about the Academy."

"Oh," Kel was a little surprised but mostly, she felt her heart warm. Maybe she and Anders would become closer siblings and she felt truly touched that he wanted to help her. Anders was silent for a moment.

"Kel," he began. "The boys at the Academy are really serious about their music."

"I know," Kel assured him. "I am too."

"No, I mean, like really serious. It's really what they're going to do for the rest of their lives. Now, they don't care about girls making music but they do care about girls coming to the Academy. For them, it's always how the Academy's been and they don't want it to change."

"But wouldn't they want to try new things? Work with new people?" She wanted to know as she reached for her bass guitar to put it in the bag. "I would."

"Not everyone's like you, Kel. Just stay out of trouble with them. You'll save yourself heartache that way."

Kel smiled. "I'll try," She told him.

Anders stood up with a groan. "Don't stay up too late making music," he teased, eyes twinkling. "You'll have a lot of it at the Academy. If you're not too careful, you might just be better then the boys. You are related to an amazing drummer, after all." He made a quick pose as he said that and they laughed together before she grinned and shook her head at him as he left.

* * *

let me know what you think! for now, i'll just post these two chapters, see the reception. might keep going.

if you guys have any questions about the musical terms i use in these chapters, PM me or review and ask me.


	3. A New School and A New Friend

okay, so i posted links on my profile for the outfits. i was bored and i have a polyvore account...well, one thing led to another. i'm also making a list of all the songs on there so you dont constantly have to go back to a chapter if you dont remember a song you liked.

this is one of the longest chapters so be prepared. there probably wont be another this long for a while. but who knows? maybe inspiration will strike.

songs in this chapter (in order of appearance):

My Paper Heart by the All American Hearts

Keep Holding On by Avril Lavigne

* * *

Kel walked into her new dorm room with her father, lugging in her instruments and suitcase. She plopped the suitcase on the bed in the corner and carefully began to unpack her prized instruments and computer. Her father helped her take everything out of its bags and set it up. Piers also helped her empty out the suitcase with her clothing. It was kind of funny to her how most of her luggage was instruments and she only had one, not even full, suitcase of clothing and books.

After all the unpacking was finished, Piers gave Kel a warm hug and a promise that she should keep in touch or her mother would know why. Kel laughed and hugged her father back.

"I promise." She giggled.

"If any of the boys give you trouble," Piers said, wiggling his eyebrows. "I have confidence in the right hook of yours."

They said their farewells and Piers left to go see some friends before his trip back home. Kel watched him go, knowing her parents were unusual. She didn't see anyone else's parents come halfway across Tortall to help their child unpack. Kel got off the wall she was leaning on and made her way back to her room to practice her guitar. As she did, she thought of her meeting with the Vice Chancellor and shivered. He was one to look out for. Wyldon Cavall had been cold, distant, and direct when he spoke with her.

She walked down the hallway, wandering, not wanting to go back to her room. Music wafted from the end of the hallway and she stopped to listen.

_Please just don't play with me  
My paper heart will bleed  
This wait for destiny won't do  
Be with me, please, I beseech you  
Simple things, that make you run away  
Catch you if I can_

_Tears fall, down your face  
The taste, is something new  
Something that I know  
Moving on is easiest _

_When I am around you_

_So bottle up old love, and throw it out to sea  
Watch it away as you cry  
A year has passed  
The seasons go  
_

Interested, she began to follow the sounds until she came to a big room. There were four boys playing: one on the keyboard, one on the bass guitar, one on the drums, and one on the guitar. The one on the guitar sang as well and his voice was amazing, hitting each note precisely.

_Please just don't play with me  
My paper heart will bleed  
This wait for destiny won't do  
Be with me, please, I beseech you  
Simple things, that make you run away  
Catch you if I can_

_Waiting, day to day it goes through  
My lips are sealed for her  
My tongue is tied to a dream of being with you  
To settle for less is not what I prefer_

_So bottle up old love, and throw it out to sea  
Watch it away as you cry  
A year has passed  
The seasons go_

_  
Please just don't play with me  
My paper heart will bleed  
This wait for destiny won't do  
Be with me, please, I beseech you  
Simple things, that make you run away  
Catch you if I can_

She leaned against the wall, listening with a small smile forming on her face. These guys were really good. The singing stopped and the drummer had a small solo. Then the guitarist joined him for about eight measures before going into the singing again. They were such a good group. That or they had been practicing for a long time.

_  
Ba bop bop la la la la..._

_Ba bop bop la la la la..._

_Ba bop bop la la la la..._

_Summertime, the nights are so long  
The leaves fall down, and so do I into the arms of a friend  
Winter nights  
My bedside is cold, for I am gone  
And spring blossoms you to me_

_Summertime, the nights they are so long  
The leaves fall down, and so do I into the arms of a friend  
Winter nights  
My bedside is cold, for I am gone  
And spring blossoms you...  
To me_

The song finished and Kel wanted to clap but before she could, the boys looked at each other before whooping with joy. The guitarist and the bass slapped high fives and the drummer and the pianist bumped fists.

"Dude, that was awesome!" The drummer cried out. The others laughed and agreed.

"It was pretty amazing," Kel murmured and turned to leave.

"Aw, thanks, girly!" The drummer yelled out. Surprised that he had heard her, Kel turned around to find the drummer winking at her. "Means a lot."

"How long have you been there?" The guitarist asked. Kel shrugged.

"Since the beginning of the song," she said and looked at him. "You guys were really good together."

They scoffed and dragged their feet on the floor, but she could tell they were secretly flattered. Sensing that things would get a little uncomfortable if she stayed, she said goodbye and left. The boys shouted their thanks and farewells after her and she smiled as she made her way back to the dorm. Didn't seem like the guys here were jerks, she didn't understand what Anders was so worried about…

* * *

"You're not alone, together…" Kel tapped her pencil against her chin as she stared at the lyrics she was working on. "Together…together…" Nothing seemed to flow. She glanced at her guitar and suddenly inspiration struck. She wrote it down quickly and tried the new lyrics out. "You're not alone, together we stand."

She picked up her guitar, happy with her revised lyrics. She started the keyboard part she had already recorded on her computer and began to play immediately along with it. She was just about to begin to sing when a bell rang. Sighing, she put down the guitar and picked up her cream colored beret. Clipping it in place with a hair clip, she nervously brushed off her white Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt that she had modified a little, making the neck line slightly along her shoulder. She glanced once more in the mirror. She looked presentable enough and she didn't have to worry about the 6-inch rule because her skinny jeans were long enough to be tucked into her Uggs. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the door and pushed it open. The hallway wasn't full but there were a few boys left. As she stepped out, the conversations that had been going on suddenly got a lot quieter and more urgent. Kel sighed, but kept her head up and followed a pair to the cafeteria.

When she entered the cafeteria, all the conversation that had been going on ceased and she felt eyes fall on her. Unsure and kind of scared, she walked silently to the line and waited her turn to get her food. The lady serving gave Kel a wink of encouragement and Kel smiled back, feeling a little better. Then came the worst part of Kel's day. Finding a place to sit.

She certainly didn't want to sit with any of the boys who were giving her icy glares but she was even more unsure about the boys who simply stared at her. She had no idea where she stood with them and she was afraid to find out. But the other option, sitting by herself, wasn't appealing either because then she knew she would probably be that way all through the year. It was the more appealing choice though. So, sighing to herself, she made her way to a table that was empty in a corner and sat down by herself. She wished she had brought something to do. The silence still reigned and Kel felt uncomfortable because she knew they were still watching her. Did she have something in her hair? On her face? She was certain she didn't when she left the room.

Kel was wondering why no one started eating yet and was afraid to start doing so herself. She found herself wishing she had brought something to do when a tray clattered on the table and a very tall boy sat down across from her. He was fair-skinned and lean, with emerald eyes and light brown hair that swept into a widow's peak. He had a willful face, with high cheekbones and arched eyebrows over slanted eyes.

"Can…I help you?" She asked cautiously.

"Well, I would like to sit here." The boy said, gesturing at the table with a long fingered, bony hand. He looked too old to be in high school. "Is that alright with you?"

"Oh," Kel looked back at her plate. "Sure."

The cafeteria was still silent and Kel closed her eyes, wishing they would all look away.

"You uncomfortable?" The boy asked. She opened one eye.

"…a little?"

"Could be because no one is minding their own business," He said that quite loudly and conversation resumed slowly.

"Thanks," Kel murmured. The boy stared at her for a moment before he nodded her head towards her.

"What's your name?"

"Me?" Kel was confused. The boy rolled his eyes.

"Who else would I be asking?"

Kel had a feeling this boy liked to use sarcasm. "I'm Keladry Mindelan, but call me Kel."

"I'm Nealan Queenscove, but call me Neal. Only my least favorite aunt calls me Nealan."

"So, Neal, have you always been mad or did a few months under the Vice Chancellor do this to you?"

Neal looked surprised at Kel's sudden interest. "Um, as far as I know, I'm not crazy enough to be diagnosed and I haven't been here that long."

"Well then, why'd you sit here?"

Neal stared at her again. "Direct little thing, aren't you?"

Kel blushed but didn't back down. Neal sighed and leaned forward onto lanky elbows. "Look, my dad is Baird Queenscove, CEO of Healers. You know, the managing company?" He added to Kel's blank face. "Never mind, you'll meet him, he teaches Music Managing here as an elective. Anyways, back to the original topic, he knew Alanna Swoop when she grew up and they're good friends. I've hung out with her and a bunch of the Queen's Riders. I know girls can sing, dance, and play just as good as boys. If you want that chance, then you should get it."

Suddenly there was a movement on the podium before the room and Wyldon stepped up to it. Kel looked questioningly at Neal.

"He likes to say a speech on the first night back before we eat. Sometimes he does it during the year too."

Wyldon's speech was as Kel expected. The usual dither dather about starting a new chapter in one's life, the choices you make here would affect the rest of your life, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. She started to listen toward the end when he mentioned school work.

"Tomorrow is a free day. I suggest that you freshmen find someone who will show you around and learn your way. Tardiness was not acceptable after the first two days. Saturdays are inspection days. If you pass, you may take that Saturday and Sunday off and go into the city. If not, you receive extra work. This may be a school of music, but discipline is a factor in music and I will not accept any lax behavior. If anyone still needs their school books, extras can be found with Salma Aynnar. Your schedules will be distributed tomorrow." He looked them over, his gaze lingering on Kel. "You may begin."

Everyone dug into their food and conversation resumed. It was still warm and Kel was glad to find it was real, good, and healthy food, not like the cafeteria food at her old school. She was also surprised to find Neal was good company. He also loved his desert and hated his vegetables. She had remind him more than once to eat them but he was funny, smart, witty, and sarcastic and she was grateful for that, it made her feel more comfortable. When she finally worked up the courage to ask him what grade he was in, he sighed heavily.

"I'm in ninth, even though I'm sixteen. I started school late." He drummed his fingers against the table. Seemingly, this was a sore spot for him. "I won't graduate till I'm nineteen."

"Well, that's nothing to fuss over." Kel said, taking a bit of the delicious mashed potatoes. "There were some people at my old school that won't graduate till they're twenty."

Neal blinked in surprise. "Wow, they must be nincompoops."

Kel laughed at his choice of words. "Yea, I guess they are."

"So what do you play?" He asked, leaning back on the back legs of his chair, using his hands to push against the table.

"Well," Kel looked down again, blushing. "I play a little of everything and I can sing."

"Define everything." Neal didn't seem to care she could be better then him. She stared at him, shocked at his nonchalant behavior before the question registered in her mind.

"Oh, um, guitar – electric and acoustic, bass guitar, drums, keyboard or piano, cello, violin, viola, flute, some trumpet, trombone, and saxophone, not a lot of brass cause I'm not so hot on their notes and stuff. Um, I also play some harp, bass, and I sing. You?"

Neal's chair came down loudly onto all fours.

"Wow, you weren't kidding. Well, I'm mostly band stuff, guitar, bass guitar, drums, and especially keyboard, it's my thing." He brought up his hand and wiggled his long fingers. "I have the fingers for it. But I also do some violin. And I compose."

Kel had to agree with that statement. He looked like a composer.

They finished eating and Neal directed Kel to the bins at the back of the room for the dirty cutlery and plates. They left the cafeteria together and spoke mostly of music. As they reached Kel's room, she went in because she had forgotten to turn off her computer. When she saw it, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Fuck," She cursed. Her room was in disarray. Her clothes were strewn everywhere, the bed was overturned, and her instruments were moved around. There was also writing on the walls. _The Academy isn't for girls, go home. Girls aren't good enough for this place. You suck, fuck off. _There was also a bunch of really inappropriate things that pissed Kel off enough that she wanted to know who had written these things on the walls so she could use that right hook her dad had complimented her on. Kel ran to her instruments, terrified the boys had done horrible things to them.

"Hey, something wrong?" Neal walked into her room, leaving the door open. Kel had explained that when there was a boy in the room, the door had to be wide open. He raised his eyebrows as he took in her room. "What juvenile jerks," He commented and came to help Kel, who looked close to having a panic attack as she examined her instruments. When she realized that the boys had respect for the instruments she had brought with her and the worst thing that had happened to them was that they were out of tune, she sagged with relief. They can do whatever they wanted with her room but they had better be pray that she didn't find out who had messed with her instruments. Once she had put all her instruments out of harm's way, she and Neal began to put the room to rights.

That was how she first met Salma Aynnar. The woman heard them dropping the heavy bed over and over again as they tried to set it upright and came to investigate. The woman was short and thin, with frizzy brown hair and large, dark eyes. A large ring laden with keys hung from her belt. When she saw the room, she kicked Kel and Neal out once Kel had taken her guitar and computer, telling them that the cleaning staff would take care of it.

Kel followed Neal to his room and when he opened the door, gaped. It was a rocker's haven. There were posters of the Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Europe, U2, Aerosmith, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, and, one of Kel's favorites, Metallica. She had to gape at the hand painted guitar standing in the corner too. It took her a moment to get her voice working properly.

"Is that…" Her voice came out as a tiny squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Is that an 80's Fender Stratocaster?"

"Uh, yea." Neal glanced at his guitar.

"It isn't by any chance a 1986 one is it?"

Neal looked at her funny. "How'd you know?"

"It's the same as Jasson Conte's guitar." Kel was nearly in tears. "I think it was the best year ever."

"Nuuh," Neal shook his head vehemently. "1951, that was when the broad, no, and telecasters were introduced."

Kel walked over to the guitar. At Neal's nod, she picked it up and ran her fingers along it. "Eighty six was the best. Fender Stratocaster, nuff said."

"Telecaster sounds cleaner," Neal retorted. Kel looked up at him, shocked.

"You have an '86 Strato and you think a _Tele_ sounds _better_?" If Kel had doubts that Neal needed a keeper before, she certainly didn't now.

Neal cleared his throat and motioned toward the guitar slung along Kel's back.

"That's an Ibanez right?" He asked, changing the subject. Kel put Neal's guitar down and stroked her guitar's clean brown surface lovingly.

"Ibanez Talman TCM60 Cutaway Acoustic-Electric," She said, grinning. "I saved up for a year to afford it."

"You working on anything?" Neal asked. Kel nodded.

New song," she said and shrugged. "It's not really my style but I thought I'd try something new."

"Can I hear it?"

Kel didn't respond, just opened her computer and started the track she had been working on before dinner from the beginning.

"It's called Keep Holding On," she said and began singing and playing her guitar.

_You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand  
When it gets cold  
And it feels like the end  
There's no place to go  
You know I won't give in  
No, I won't give in  
_

As she played, Neal watched her fingers. When there was a pause, he picked up his guitar and began to harmonize with Kel.

_  
Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_So far away  
I wish you were here  
Before it's too late, this could all disappear  
Before the doors close  
And it comes to an end  
With you by my side I will fight and defend  
I'll fight and defend  
Yeah, yeah_

_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Hear me when I say, when I say I believe  
Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny  
Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly  
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_La da da da  
La da da da  
La da da da da da da da da_

_Keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through  
Just stay strong  
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you  
There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Keep holding on  
_

_Keep holding on_

_There's nothing you could say  
Nothing you could do  
There's no other way when it comes to the truth  
So keep holding on  
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_

* * *

_

Okay, if any of you have any questions, like about musical terms, the answer is only a review away.

And also, my first review replies

**EcoEmo404 - **my first reviewer of this story! congrats! and thank you too. i will keep this story going as long as i can, i promise.

**Jasper winked - **Thank you, i actually wasnt sure if anyone noticed the plot. i thought the music would fit. to me, kel seemed like a musical person. once again, thank you for your review!

**Rdr-Wrtr - **hey there! nice to see you here too! thank you for reviewing both my stories. first combined reviewer now that's cool. wouldn't mind the title myself. i will continue it as much as i can. juggling it with Daughter of the Lady Knight might be difficult. anyways, thanks again!

and look! they updated the review button. use the beautiful thing.

and...a bit of shameless advertising, check out my other stories, Daughter of a Lady Knight, Save the Hero, Whose Vendetta?, and Stand in the Rain.

READ AND REVIEW!

especially review, a writer can't get better it no one tells them what they think.


	4. First Days and Mess Ups

i did want to have more then one song on here but my update was taking too long and i felt bad, keeping you guys waiting so long. so here's the next chapter. hope you like it.

song is tik tok by kesha

5.11.10

i honestly cant believe this but i accidentally left out a serious chunk of this chapter. so go back and read because a lot ties into this chunk i left out. so sorry!!! but its a good chunk i promise.

* * *

Kel did spend the next day exploring the Academy with Neal who showed her where she would be taking her classes and the important rooms, like the library, music room, lecture hall, the outside stage, the inside stage, and the gym. When they passed boys, often they would stop and watch Kel pass before breaking out into whispered conversation. It made Kel feel uncomfortable and more then once did she turn around to tell the boys to stop and if they had a problem with her, to say it straight to her face. No one took her up on the offer.

After the tour, they returned to her room. Salma had given Kel a key to the room so she could lock it now so, this time, nothing was damaged. The cleaning staff had done a good job and there was a faint smell of paint in the room but Kel wasn't going to complain. She and Neal went to dinner later after talking in detail about musical theory. Kel still hadn't met any of the other freshmen and she found herself examining boys at dinner. She had no luck and turned to her meal and Neal, listening to his sarcastic comments.

As Kel finished dinner and leaned back in her chair, satisfied, Wyldon walked up to the podium.

"It is time for the schedules to be given out. I will call each class up one at a time starting with the freshmen."

Kel and Neal both stood up and put their dirty dishes in the bins. Several others did as well and she noticed that while most of them didn't bother to care, none of the boys made any effort to conceal their stares at her. It was quite annoying and Kel had to bite her tongue to keep from snapping at them as they walked toward the Vice Chancellor. He ordered them to stand in a line and to step up when he nodded to them. The first one to step forward was a boy with the reddest, straightest hair Kel had ever seen.

"Your name and main instrument."

The boy stammered. "Merric, sir. Merric Hollyrose. Bass guitar." He had pale blue eyes and a long broad nose; his skin had the barest summer tan. Wyldon flipped through a pile of papers on the podium, found what he was looking for and handed Merric a piece of paper before waving him away. A freckled lad, Esmond Nicoline, a pianist, went next and received the same treatment. Blond and impish Quinden Marti Hill, who played the drums, was followed by Seaver Tasride, a guitarist, whose dark complexion and coal black eyes and hair suggested Bazhir ancestory. She went next and the boys who had already received their schedules stared at her again, openly and without consideration of her feelings. She took her schedule quietly and with a simple thank-you. As she stepped aside for Neal, she heard the whispers of the other older students.

"Girls have no place here. This one should go home." That was said by a tall boy with a lion's arrogance. He was brown skinned and black eyed, his nose proudly arched. He was very regal looking and Kel thought he was a tenth grader or so.

"Look at her, she stand there like – like a _lump_."

"Ugh, she's going to be so sorry she ever came here." Kel eyed this boy suspiciously. From the way a few of the older boys giggled, she suspected it wasn't with good intentions that he said this. The boy had white-blond hair and blue eyes, set in a face as rosy cheeked as a girl's. Kel, sensing the crispness in his movements and the stubbornness around his mouth, guessed that any one silly enough to mistake that one for a girl was quickly taught his mistake.

"I thought Joren was going to-"

"Shut up!"

Kel turned away quickly before the other boys noticed she was listening. Glancing back at the podium, she saw that Neal was the last to go. It was a rather small class but Kel had expected it. The Academy was adamant about having only the best and because it was such a rich school, she suspected that the government, usually in charge of the kind of quotas a school had to meet in terms of population of classes, probably were pretty relaxed about disagreeing. She would be too, when faced with Wyldon Cavall.

Neal walked down from the podium toward her and they left to the whispers of the other boys. He left her at her room and she used the new key Salma had given her. A wave of homesickness suddenly caught her. She wished she could hear her mother's low, soothing voice or listen to her father read from one of his books. It was hard to keep her emotions under control when there was so much at stake and she was so far from home.

But control her feelings she would. If anyone here thought to run her off, they would find she was tougher then they expected. She was here to stay.

To prove it, she carefully unpacked each of the Yamani porcelain lucky cats she had and set them on the mantel piece. Only when she had placed each of them just so did she scrub her face and change into her pajamas.

* * *

_Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy  
(Hey, what up girl?)  
Put my glasses on, I'm out the door - I'm gonna hit this city (Let's go)  
Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack_

Kel groaned and scrambled for her alarm, Ke$ha pounding in her ears. Trust Oranie and Adalia to change the alarm as a prank.

_Cause when I leave for the night, I ain't coming back  
I'm talking - pedicure on our toes, toes  
Trying on all our clothes, clothes  
Boys blowing up our phones, phones  
Drop-toping, playing our favorite CDs  
Pulling up to the parties  
Trying to get a little bit tipsy_

Still searching for the alarm – she had been sure to put it next to her bed the night before, hadn't she? – Kel moaned. She really didn't like Ke$ha and Tik Tok was her least favorite song. More then that, the song was blasting and she was sure in a moment, someone would pound on the walls, telling her to shut it up.

_Don't stop, make it pop  
DJ, blow my speakers up  
Tonight, I'mma fight  
'Til we see the sunlight  
Tick tock, on the clock  
But the party don't stop no  
Woah-oh oh oh  
Woah-oh oh oh  
_

"Fuck," she cursed, throwing her clothes everywhere in effort to find the damn clock. 'Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

This was not a good way to start her first official day at the Academy.

_Ain't got a care in world, but got plenty of beer  
Ain't got no money in my pocket, but I'm already here  
Now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger  
But we kick 'em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger  
I'm talking about - everybody getting crunk, crunk  
Boys trying to touch my junk, junk  
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk  
Now, now - we goin' til they kick us out, out  
Or the police shut us down, down  
Police shut us down, down  
Po-po shut us -  
Don't stop, make it pop  
DJ, blow my speakers up  
Tonight, I'mma fight  
'Til we see the sunlight  
Tick tock, on the clock  
But the party don't stop no  
Woah-oh oh oh  
Woah-oh oh oh_

_Don't stop, make it pop  
DJ, blow my speakers up  
Tonight, I'mma fight  
'Til we see the sunlight  
Tick tock, on the clock  
But the party don't stop no  
Woah-oh oh oh  
Woah-oh oh oh_

Her luck seemed to be dwindling rapidly and her eardrums were begin to figuratively bleed from the awful – her opinion – music.

_DJ, you build me up  
You break me down  
My heart, it pounds  
Yeah, you got me  
With my hands up  
You got me now  
You gotta that sound  
Yea, you got me  
DJ, you build me up  
You break me down  
My heart, it pounds  
Yeah, you got me  
With my hands up  
Get your hands up  
Put your hands up_

_No, the party don't start until I walk in_

_Don't stop, make it pop  
DJ, blow my speakers up  
Tonight, I'mma fight  
'Til we see the sunlight  
Tick tock, on the clock  
But the party don't stop no  
Woah-oh oh oh  
Woah-oh oh oh_

_Don't stop, make it pop  
DJ, blow my speakers up  
Tonight, I'mma fight  
'Til we see the sunlight  
Tick tock, on the clock  
But the party don't stop no  
Woah-oh oh oh  
Woah-oh oh oh_

Finally, as a last resort, she looked under the bed and the Gods were with her. She snatched the alarm out from under the bed and jammed her hand on the snooze button in time to hear the final measures of the song. She sighed with relief. At least she wouldn't have to hear it again.

After her alarm clock incident, she grabbed her uniform, took a quick shower in her little bathroom, and headed out the door.

* * *

Undiscouraged by the gloomy feeling resonating from the boys she passed in the hallway, she wished Neal a good morning when she found him in the mess hall. He looked at her through bleary eyes and mumbled, "There's nothing good about it." Kel shook her head and ate breakfast in silence. Her first day as a student of Corus Knight's Academy for Music had begun.

After breakfast, she made her way to her first class of the day, Music Theory, carrying her guitar and flute with her. There were two teachers standing at the front of the room, a man and a woman. The man stood at the center, his big hands braced on his hips. He was a tall Yamani, golden-skinned, with plump lips and a small nose. His black eyes were lively, particularly for a Yamani. His black hair was cropped short on the sides and longer on top. His shoulders were heavy under his simple blue jacket. The woman sat on a chair, looking them over with pale, intelligent eyes. Her short-cropped tight gray curls framed a face that was dainty but weathered.

"Welcome, freshman, to the Theory of Music," he said, no trace of accent in his clear, mellow voice. "I am Hakuin Horse Seastone, call me Hakuin. My colleague, who joined me this summer, is Eda Wildcat Bell, or simply Eda."

"Don't go thinking you can bounce me all over the ground just because I look like somebody's grandmother." The woman said drily. "Some children need more raising then others and I supply it." She grinned, showing very white teeth. Kel saw the redheaded Merric swallow. She agreed. Eda Wildcat Bell looked tough.

Once everyone was seated, their backpacks and instruments on the ground beside their chairs, the man took up the class.

"Your first, and most important lesson is, learn how to improvise. If you should ever miss a beat or forget your chord, note, what have you, it is important to cover your mistakes, especially during a performance. Nothing is as humiliating as messing up on stage and everyone knowing it. Like this," he played a couple of clips from YouTube on the projector. The boys, and Kel, winced as the jarring out of tune notes made a guitarist stop playing, making it more serious then it really was.

"Everyone is expected to already know their major and minor scales," Eda said after the clips were completed. "We'll hear those now."

They quickly took out their instruments, tuned them quietly, and Hakuin pointed to blond Quinden. The boy played a three octave A major scale on his trumpet. After he finished, he motioned to Kel.

She meant to only play three octaves as Quiden had but the moment she began to play, six years in the Yamani Islands took over. She played a quick five octaves Eb minor scale with a small morten at the end that tied in a nice vibrato ending. She looked up, pausing in her music before she continued on. Hakuin stood before her, smiling wryly. Horrified, Kel bowed her head, blushing furiously. She expected a swat on the head or a bellow in her ear. Nariko, the lead musician at Emperor's School for the Arts in the Yamani Islands, had had no patience with people who didn't complete and transition scales or counter them with chord progressions. When no one swatted or bellowed, she looked up through her bangs. Everyone was staring at her. Kel looked down again, wishing she could disappear.

"See what happens when you get too comfortable, Hakuin?" drawled Eda. "Someone hands you a surprise."

She didn't see Hakuin but she assumed he had given Eda a look by the chuckle she let out. The next thing she knew, she heard Hakuin's voice.

"Look at me, youngster," he ordered. When Kel obeyed, she saw Hakuin's black eyes were dancing. "Someone has studied in the Yamani Islands."

"Yes, sir." She whispered.

"Your teacher was old Nariko, the lead musician at Emperor's, am I right? She always did like that scale. She drilled me in it so many times, I wanted to toss her into a tree and leave her there." Kel nodded, hiding a smile.

Hakuin turned to the next boy. The rest stared at her with a combination of confusion and dislike. It occurred to Kel that they thought she was showing off. She couldn't help that now, the damage was done. She would just have to make sure that she didn't repeat her mistake.

* * *

She had Instrumental Integration afterwards. It was taught by a short black man called Obafem Ezeko. He was gruff, handing them new instruments with harsh words. Kel received a harpsichord, something she had ever played before. She was partnered with Merric Hollyrose, who clearly didn't like the inattention Ezeko, and Wyldon when he arrived, gave them. Two boys, Cleon Kennan, the drummer for the band she had heard playing on her first day here, and Vinson Genlith, demonstrated how to play a bunch of different types of instruments. It wasn't until Kel made a mistake on the A major scale that Wyldon began to pay any attention to them. It seemed he wouldn't leave them alone after that because he was constantly at Kel about her position on the strings and the notes she played. But she gritted her teeth and wore it out.

Composition followed that and she had trouble keeping up, composing never one of her strong suits. But she tried and when the teacher asked her to come up and perform what she had, she could honestly say that he was disappointed with her opus. After the class, Neal threw an arm over her shoulders for comfort and they made their way to PE, the class always between their core music and their core academic classes for the day.

* * *

i have nothing against kesha, i actually kind of like that song but it just didnt seem like a song kel would like.

anyway, reviews????

here are the review replies

**EcoEmo404 - **i will try as much as i can to put joren in. i promise. villans are cool, i'll give you that much. anyway, sorry for the long wait for the update!

**Jasper winked - **dom is definitely going to be in this, dont worry. :) he's my fave character after kel.

**domsdirtysecret - **you're just everywhere arent you? ;). thank you, i'm actually trying to keep it as close to the book as possible, even using the same scenes and taking out sentences.

okay, general question, do you guys think that Myles of Olau should be the PE teacher or the History teacher still? i thought PE because he's the pages favorite teacher but he's such a history buff to me. let me know in your reviews!


	5. Sometimes Things Are Different

wow, you have no idea how hard it is to find a good angst song that isnt about love. i have literally spent all the time i have had since i last updated looking for one. i hope it's not disappointing wait.

a few things i keep forgetting to do.

1) this is an AU of the book so i have a lot of stuff straight from the book so here is my general disclaimer: no matter how hard i try, i am not tamora pierce and the basis of this is hers.

2) i forgot to mention in the past that Jasson Conte is the Jimmi Hendrix of tortall, thats why Kel was so excited about Neal's guitar cause that's pretty much what Hendrix's guitar was.

3) if anyone has music suggestions, music questions, or you just want to talk, PM me and i'll reply as soon as i can.

the song here is it's my life by bon jovi (did you guys know that he was a part of the band called Europe before he left? yea, my mom learned english listening to them, funny side fact)

anyway, song - it's my life by bon jovi and the chapter is on!!

* * *

Surprisingly, PE was made up of more then just freshmen. There were a bunch of upperclassmen milling about in the room. Kel glanced around. All the freshmen seemed to have this class together as well. She wondered if PE was the only class integrated with the older boys.

As role was called, she noticed that Cleon Kennan and Vinson Genlith were here. The pretty blond boy from the mess was named Joren Stone Mountain and the Bazhir boy with lionish arrogance was Zahir Alhaz. There was also a handsome, dark haired boy, Faleron King Reach, Merric's cousin, also the bassist for the band she had seen on her first day, and an older boy, a sophomore, Garvey Runnerspring. The last boy, tall and quiet, was Roald Conté, son of the Headmaster and Thayet Conté, easily the most inspiring singer, having come from the lowly ranks of the slums all the way to the top notch in little less then a year. He had his father's blue eyes and black hair that could've com from either of his parents. She remembered seeing him singing at that band practice and playing the guitar.

The other boys changed into normal clothes that allowed for movement, mostly shorts and t-shirts. Kel had to wait for them all to come out before she could use the locker room. For all the school saying that girls could come, they themselves weren't prepared at all. She herself exchanged her stiff khaki pants for black gym shorts and her polo shirt for a blue tank top. Thankfully, she had shaved her legs the day before so she didn't have to worry about that yet. She stepped out to see the boys gathered round a man in the center of the room. He was speaking as she approached.

"Alright, now today is the first day and I expect good sportsmanship of out all of you. Ah, Keladry, good of you to join us," The man said, turning toward her and nodding at her with twinkling eyes. He introduced himself as Tkaa. At the mention of her name, she almost felt the boys glance at her and be unable to look away as she nodded back. Feeling kind of uncomfortable, she crossed her arms before her chest, a nervous habit. Tkaa ignored it and quickly divided them into two teams to play dodge ball. She grinned. Dodge ball was her favorite sport.

She found herself on a team with Neal, Roald, Faleron, Merric, and Seaver. Her team was one less then the other but privately, she thought that they could make it work. The others didn't seem to think so and occasionally snuck glances at her until Tkaa placed six red handballs on the half court line on the basketball court they were playing on. He made everyone get on the walls and walked off the court. Placing his whistle in his mouth, he looked to both sides, made sure no one was cheating, and blew. Kel bolted for the ball and grabbed one, ducking as Garvey sent a hard one toward her. It hit Merric in the stomach behind her and he bent over, gasping for air, before he walked off. Kel threw the ball at the skinny Esmond. He tried to duck but her aim was true and the ball bounced off his shin. She quickly retreated away from the line, watching out for the red balls. Neal caught a ball Garvey threw and winked at the fuming boy. Garvey flipped him the bird and walked off to a lecture by Tkaa.

Kel watched him go and returned her attention back to the game to duck under a wayward ball. Faleron pounced on it and blocked an incoming ball with it before returning the courtesy to Zahir. Zahir caught it disdainfully and sneered at Faleron. Zahir picked up a rolling ball and locked eyes with Neal. One after another, he sent the two balls at Neal. Neal ducked the first one and barely caught the second. But somehow Zahir had kept the third one and threw it just as Neal was turning to throw. It bounced off Neal's shoulder and Kel quickly picked up one of the balls. She noticed that Seaver was also out and Roald had just hit a double play on Zahir and Cleon. Roald didn't show any triumph but he was hit by Vinson and she didn't have any more time to think on it. She sent her ball toward Vinson and it hit dangerously low to his privates. She winced, knowing that she hadn't put herself in his good books, and dodged the ball Joren threw.

She looked at the handsome blonde. He was standing on the mid court line, tossing a ball up and down in one hand, showing off as he chewed his gum with his mouth open. It made Kel want to gag, seeing that. Other then his manners, he was every girl's dream boy. He sneered at her.

"Just you and me," he grinned and threw the ball. She ducked under it and threw her own, quickly ducking under another barrage. He sidestepped hers and went after it, never turning his back to her. She grinned. It was actually fun, playing against these boys. They didn't like her, clearly they want to drive her away, and they planned to do it with sport. Well, it was a cheerful difference in intensity from her old school where the boys were too careful with the girls, even when they were good.

"I don't mind," she said and threw the ball as hard as she could. It hit him on the shoulder as he tried to duck. Joren cursed and slammed his ball on the ground.

"Good work!" Tkaa said breezily. "Now, shake hands."

Joren stepped up to the line, his eyes dark with anger. Kel, unsure, did the same and extended her hands. Joren's grip was harsh.

"Do you think you can keep up? Why don't you go home?" He demanded as he gripped her hand.

"I belong here." She retorted softly. "Just like Alanna the Lioness."

"Your precious Lioness is a cheat," sneered Joren, hare making him ugly. He yanked on her hand, pulling her forward so they were nearly nose to nose. "You're going to be sorry you came here, wench. Messing with your room wasn't enough. You'd better be careful who you whore your body out to."

Kel had restrained herself and ignored that, not bothering to look for those who had messed with it in the first place. But having this..._pervert_ practically admit to ruining her things and insinuate she was only here because she had slept with someone high up made her hum with anger.

_I'm done being polite,_ Kel thought grimly.

She drew her hand back and punched him squarely in the jaw. Startled, he reeled back, surprised by the strength of her blow. There were a few gasps from the sidelines but she disregarded them.

"Just because I don't resort to driving away my threats doesn't mean I don't see them, Stone Mountain." She said stoically, glaring with icy eyes before she stalked to the other side of the court, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting for the next game. The boys looked from Kel to Joren, who was rubbing his jaw, clearly wondering what had happened. But Tkaa, unexpectedly, didn't comment and simply continued with the class. He did keep Kel and Joren away from each other.

Kel used the locker room first, changing quickly so she wouldn't keep anyone waiting, and left before anyone had a chance to talk with her. She arrived at her next class and chose a seat in the back. She dropped her backpack on the ground with her guitar and doodled on her notebook until the other freshmen arrived. Some cast curious glances toward her but majority still treated her as if she didn't exist. Neal sat down next to her.

"History and Law of the world," He murmured gleefully to her. "You'll like this." He tapped his desk. "Mr. Myles doesn't care where we put ourselves so you don't have to worry about moving around."

"Mr. Myles?" She asked. He seemed to have put the incident in PE behind him so she made no comment.

"Myles Olau, our teacher," Neal explained. "Why do you ask?"

Kel ran her finger over a scratch on her desktop. "He's the Lioness's father," she told him shyly. Seeing him would be almost as good as meeting Alanna the Lioness herself.

"Adoptive father, actually," Neal said as a small chubby man entered the room. He was long haired and bearded, dressed in a dark blue shirt over gray sweats. His green-brown eyes were sharp as he looked over the students.

"Here we are, trembling on the brink of a new year." Myles ambled up to the front of the room and leaned against the wall. "I'm pleased to see no one played his instrument too hard and worked his fingers off-"

"But not for lack of trying!" joked the red-headed Merric.

The teacher raised gracefully curved brows. "You did not have to say that," he said mildly. "You would not be worthy to be a musician if you were not always trying something." He perched on a tall stool. "Well," he said companiably, "We've had quite a musical year. Will someone explain why calling the recent deluge of musical battles the Immortals War is misleading? Nicoline?"

Esmond ducked his head, but replied in a clear voice, "Because the band Immortals – Spidren, Stormwing, and Ogre – were in the finals but they were only on the team with Scanrans, Copper Islanders, and Carthaki Renegades. They weren't in the lead."

Myles didn't seem to care whether his students were formal with him. "Very good." The man looked around and he said briskly, "Why did Scanra, the Copper Isles, and the Carthanki rebels come to assault our shores in the year 452 HE? Quinden?"

The boy lounged at his desk, seemingly bored. "The King's Champion killed a Copper Isle's princess thirteen years before."

"That is one reason: bad blood. It doesn't explain the Carthakis and Scanra."

Quinden shrugged. "Scanra always raids us. They don't need a reason."

"But they do have reasons," Myles pointed out. "Pressing ones that sent them against Tortall year after year. Put Carthak aside for now. Consider Scanra to the north. What riches do they have even now?"

"Furs?" suggested Seaver.

"Rocks," added Merric, who got the laugh he'd intended.

The discussion went on. It ranged from poor Scanran farmers with failed crops to the destruction of an old Carthaki emperor and the installation of a new one. When the bell rang, it surprised Kel – she had lost all track of time.

Science was next and Kel liked that teacher, Lindhall Reed. He had a real dinosaur skeleton and majority of the room was plants and tanks for animals. English, taught by Mr. Yayin, followed that and she found she could do without that class. Math, however, her favorite and best subject was next, and she liked the teacher, Mr. Ivor, very much. The final class of the day was Etiquette. Sometimes, the Academy's students were asked to play in different countries for international conventions, political or otherwise, and the school did not want to be embarrassed so Etiquette was another full class. It was taught by the Ceremony Coordinator of the school, Upton Oakbridge. The room was hot and the work so boring that Kel had to fight to stay awake.

As the class drew to a close, everyone given a book and assigned to report on its first chapter the next day. When Kel saw the title, she grinned.

Oakbridge was on her like a cat. "What amuses you, probationer?" He addressed her like Wyldon and Ezeko had in the morning.

_Can't he pretend I'm just like everybody else?_ thought Kel as she got to her feet. "Nothing, sir."

"But you are amused, it was quite clear. You must share the joke with us, probationer, now if you please." He stood before her desk, one fist planted solidly on his hop. She could hear his foot rapping briskly.

"Mr. Oakbridge-"

"I will accept no more evasion, probationer!"

Kel opened the book and pointed to the author's name. "Sir, the writer is my father."

Her father was an ambassador for the Yamani-Tortallan delegation and he had written a book of Yamani etiquette in hopes that his fellows would learn something. The teacher snatched the book away and scowled at the title page. "Review the entire volume tonight."

The final bell of the afternoon rang. Kel gathered all her belongings and followed the other boys out of the room. Wyldon was waiting outside. He called out her name and as she turned, motioned for her to come. She followed him to another hallway and looked at him questioningly. He glared at her.

"Fighting on school property is grounds for suspension, Keladry." He said darkly. "However, since it was the first day, I will lay clemency to this and hope it doesn't happen again. But if it does," he held her eyes for a moment, "your stay here will be over. I'll not have any violence here. Have a good day." With that, he swept out of the hallway and vanished.

Kel stood there for a moment, veins humming with anger. Stupid Joren. He was such a perverted, mother-fucking, pussy with no sense of dignity and a coward who told on, ugh, the words just didn't seem to compare. She marched to her room, threw her backpack, kept her guitar, and stalked to one of the music rooms. They were soundproof and she preferred to let her angst out where no one would hear it.

One of the rooms was open and she went in, locking the door behind her. Sitting down on the stool, and ignoring the drum set and amp in the corner, she unpacked her guitar and began to tune it. Once the notes hummed together in perfect intervals, she warmed up her fingers with quick scales. Satisfied with her exercises, she took a deep breath and began to play. The intro was short and the lyrics came quickly.

_This ain't a song for the broken-hearted  
No silent prayer for the faith-departed  
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd  
You're gonna hear my voice  
When I shout it out loud  
_

She tapped her foot to keep time, and launched into the chorus, belting out the lyrics and over all, enjoying herself.

_It's my life  
It's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
It's my life  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just wanna live while I'm alive  
It's my life_

Words couldn't describe how pissed off she was at Wyldon. It made her just want to punch him in the face. So she Conténted herself with playing hard and singing loud, knowing that she was taking a chance that most people cowered at, coming to a prestigious school on probation.

_This is for the ones who stood their ground  
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down  
Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake  
Luck ain't even lucky  
Got to make your own breaks  
_

Probation? Really? Were they so into how boys were better then girls that they had to make her go on _probation? _Like a criminal? She was already divided from the boys with so much. But she wouldn't rely on luck, she would make her own breaks.

_It's my life  
And it's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
It's my life  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
'Cause it's my life_

_Better stand tall when they're calling you out  
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down  
_

She was totally going to show the entire world that girls were just as good as, if not potentially better then, boys. One day, she would kick Wyldon's _ass_ in music! If they thought she was going to give up because of all the pressure coming down on her, then they had another thought coming. Because she would _not back down. _

_It's my life  
And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
It's my life  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive _

_It's my life_

If the price of proving to the world that she was a musician and had the right to do as she wanted as well was losing her dignity to gossip and living with the pranks that those boys pulled on her, then she would. It would make the triumph all the sweeter. She would _not _let them tell _her _how to live. She would live her life _her way._

_And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
It's my life  
My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
'Cause it's my life!_

She ended the song with a quick strum before ending it. In the silence that followed, she felt her anger dissipate and she sighed before packing up her guitar and going to her room in preparation for supper.

Once they had filled their trays, Kel and Neal went to the spot they had claimed as their own and sat. Kel picked up her fork, but Neal shook his head. She looked around, all the boys had taken their places, but no one had begun to eat. She raised her eyebrows at Neal, who whispered, "No Stump." She rolled her eyes at his nickname for Wyldon though she had to agree that he was stiff.

Everyone fidgeted; Kel's stomach growled. At last the door opened. The upperclassmen were on their feet. Someone murmured, "The chancellor."

Then everyone was up on their feet as two men – the head chancellor and Wyldon - walked up to Wyldon's small table. Kel stared to the man whose school she had wanted so much to come to. Jonathan Conté was the handsomest man she had ever seen. He was an inch shorter than Wyldon but the Vice Chancellor faded beside him. Jonathan Conté's neatly-trimmed hair and bread were coal-black, framing a face that was tan from a summer outdoors. His nose was straight and proud. His eyes were a deep, brilliant sapphire blue, framed by long lashes. On any other man those lashes might have seemed feminine; not on the king.

He grinned; white teeth flashed against the black of his beard. "Don't let me keep you from your meal," he said in a clear baritone voice. "I remember what it was like from my own days at those tables. Now eat," said the Chancellor. "After you're done, I'd like a word." He and Wyldon sat down and began to pile their plates.

Kel eased back into her chair, her thoughts all in a jumble. She tried to sort them out as she ate. She wished she could ask the Chancellor why he had allowed Wyldon out her on probation for a year. In that original proclamation ten years ago, it was written that girls could come have an education at the Academy; probation had not been mentioned. It wasn't fair, so why had he allowed it?

_I suppose I'll never find the courage to ask him why flat out,_ she thought sadly. _I'll just smile and nod like a good ambassador's daughter. I bet Neal wouldn't hesitate to ask. _She looked at her friend and smiled in spite of herself. Neal was eating his cake as his vegetables got cold on his plate.

When everyone had finished, the Chancellor went to stand at the lectern again. "Don't get up," he said as everyone began to rise. "If memory serves me, your eyes are beginning to droop right about now."

A number of boys chuckled. Kel looked at her hands, which were curled into fists in her lap. _If you don't treat me properly, I'm not going to laugh at your jokes, _she thought stubbornly.

"I won't keep you long," the Chancellor promised. "I really just wanted a look at you.

Music has always been an integral part of Corus and Tortall. Your work, your calluses, your nights spent studying clefs and sonatas and concertos, it's your work and the reason you are here. Your mastery of the arts of music and of the love of its existence. It'll be four years of hard work before you spread that love of music outward."

Jonathan Conté paused for a moment, his eyes exploring their faces. Looking at him, Kel thought grudgingly, _All right, he hasn't been fair, and he hasn't made Wyldon treat me like the boys, but he's right about the work. I'll show him, and Wyldon – that I'm as good as anybody else. I'll be an example. They'll be sorry they ever treated me unjustly. _

"Study well, learn well, and keep your love of music alive." He looked them over one last time, nodded briskly, then strode out of the hall. He was gone before any of them remembered to stand.

As unhappy as her thoughts had been, Kel still had to remember to take a breath once the Chancellor had left the room. His presence was strong. She could see how he could stir hearts with his music and lyrics. Even Neal, who seemed so world-weary, looked eager.

When he realized her eyes were on him, he smiled. "Isn't this a great time to be alive?" he asked. "Instruments being created from scratch for us, people wanting moving music, and us being prepared to give it to them. Nothing happened before and everything is happening now. We'll be legends, our names passed on through music."

"It's going to take a lot of work, that's for certain." She replied with a shrug.

Neal propped his chin on one hand and gazed at her. "You aren't a bit romantic, are you?" He asked, amused.

She sat back and stared at him. She was beginning to think that Neal needed a keeper. He seemed to have the craziest ideas. "Romance? Isn't that love-stuff?" she asked finally.

"It's more than just love. It's color, and-and fire. You don't want things magnificent and filled with-with grandeur," he said, trying to make her understand. "You know, drama. Importance. Transcendent passion."

"I just want to be a musician," Kel retorted, putting her used tableware on her tray. "Eat your vegetables. They're good for you."

When she returned to her room, Kel found a small package on her desk. She grabbed her iPod, turned on some instrumental music, and looked it over, humming along with the music. It was a cardboard box and the address on it was to her.

She pulled out a pair of scissors and cut through the tape. Opening the flaps, she found those Styrofoam peanuts used when transporting fragile things. She reached in and dug around, still humming to the music. Her fingers brushed something and she pulled it out. It was a book wrapped in bubble wrap. Through the plastic, she could see it was a complete collection of arpeggios, blues, harmonic, platonic, and melodic scales, and chord progressions. But the box seemed too wide to be just that and she dug through it again. She pulled out a guitar strap and to her amazement and delight, a box of picks. But her favorite was the two packages each of string replacements for her guitar and bass guitar. They were high quality goods. Inside the book was a paper tag. Written on it, in the normal computer font, was "Good luck."

Kel had to sit down. Who would send such a fine gift? Anyone in her family would include a proper note. Neal was friendly, but she couldn't see him spending this kind of money on her. She couldn't see anyone doing it.

She thought it over until the first after-supper bell rang; she had homework and Neal had invited her to study with him. Fretting over the identity of the gift-giver would not be much use for now. She removed her old scale book, which was sadly inadequate to the Academy standards, from her bag and replaced it with the new one. The gift had come on the first day of real classes, which told her one thing she could be sure of: someone wished her well.

Kel smiled. Someone wanted the probationer to succeed.

* * *

well???? what did you think?? i want to know!!

um, nothing really to add. i'll probably remember if there is after i post this chapter. but oh well. here are the review replies.

**Jasper winked - **i know right? dom is amazing. i thought the tik tok scene was fun to write, glad you enjoyed it.

**.A.F. - **glad to know you think is was realistic of kel not to really like that song. yea, myles is definitely not a pe teacher.

**EcoEmo404 - **what pairing? well, if i tell you i'd have to kill you (jk) but really, i can't tell. it'll ruin this. your very welcome for the shout out. thanks for the compliments. hope you liked this chapter too!

**domsdirtysecret - **you really are everywhere :). i love it! i wish i had photographic memory, tests and quizes would be so much easier. no, i just checked the book out from the library and literally type up the scenes as i go. i'd like to do all the books, might not be such a bad idea. dude, if i could, i would totally drop everything and write but fate has it in for me so i can't. you know, school and the what not. oh dont worry about dom, i have plans for him!! *evil laugh*

**AnnaFantasyGirl - **i'm going to reply again cause i'm just that cool :D. lol, jk. this story has a long way to go. i play the cello and recorder fluently (can i use that for music?) and i'm okay with the piano and bass guitar. but i love to sing!!! singing has always been my favorite.

well, what did you guys think of Tkaa as the PE teacher?? let me know.


	6. Repairs and Injustice

well, new chapter. i think its a rather important one. thanks to **domsditrysecret**, its up. believe me, she helped more then she knows. so its courtesy of her that i figured out how to continue. guess who makes an appearance this chapter?

so, many of you seem to be wondering if i am a musician myself. as a matter of fact i am. i've worked a little with weird al, (white and nerdy) and on friday, cue the squeal, i'm preforming for CHAD SMITH! oh god really? you know, the drummer for the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS! yea, i kind of like his music. i also have a concert tomorrow with my band at the Waterfront Cafe. if any of you live in LA, stop by.

song of this chapter is a new one i just discovered. its called walk away by five finger death punch. not a fan of the name but hey, song is pretty good.

* * *

Five weeks after her arrival at the Academy, Kel decided to write an email home to her family. It was hard to get started. That morning she had gone to ride at a local stable and a horse had stepped on her foot. It seemed to ache as the day wore on, distracting her in her classes and at supper. Only when she had propped the foot up on a cushion in her bed did the dull pain ease enough to allow her to write.

_Dear Papa and Mama,_

_Thank you for the package of candy and things. I shared it with my friend, Neal Queenscove. He liked the cakes very much. _

_I can't believe that five whole weeks have gone. I am working hard. The teachers are strict. Master Oakbridge, the Ceremony Coordinator, is teaching Yamani etiquette from Papa's book. I have to show everyone the submissions so much that I get dizzy. My favorite class is mathematics. I think the teacher, Master Ivor, is pleased with my work. _

_Tell Tilaine that there are no concerts until Midwinter so I haven't performed for an audience yet. But then only the seniors get the huge concert, we get the stage earlier in the day, so not a lot of people come. _

_I found a small stable nearby so Oranie better not be hoping to be able to outrace me next we go to Gradma and Grandpa's. I ride the same horse every time I go. His name is Peachblossom, a strawberry roan gelding. He is too big for me, but I like him. He will be sold or killed if I do not keep him. He is very clever, and plays all kinds of tricks if I do not keep an eye on him. _

_Also, might I have some green tea? It is _very_ expensive here, and I truly need something to drink at night as I do my homework. _

_I did not pack enough skirts and dresses. Might I have some of my other ones at home?_

Kel smiled at the last paragraph, knowing it would surprise her mother. She had always preferred jeans for wear at home. These days, however, Kel wore dresses or skirts whenever possible. She was not about to let the boys forget there was a girl in their midst. Dresses to supper were just one way to remind them.

What else could she tell her family? Kel stared at her email, drumming her fingers on the keyboard of her laptop. She decided to leave out that sometimes Roald Conte sat with her and Neal at dinner. For one, it seemed like bragging. After all, the Chancellor's son made it a point to sit at meals with each of the students at least once during the weeks since her arrival. That he sat with her and Neal the most could simply be due to his curiosity about the Yamanis. Instead she wrote:

_Does Mama still have her sketchbook from the Islands? Her pictures are much better than the ones in the books in the school library. Neal wants to know what things look like. _

That was true enough. Neal _was_ curious about the Yamanis and how they lived, and if Roald also looked at the sketches, so much the better.

She would not mention the bad things that happened, not the boys' tricks or snide remarks Joren and his posse tossed her way. That seemed too much like whining to her. Instead, she shifted her foot to a better spot on the cushion and wrote on:

_I'm learning so much here, I surprised that my head hasn't exploded yet. I have to take Music Theory again but it's not that bad. The teachers make it interesting again. P.E. is fun and it's nice to let out my competitiveness every once in a while. There's this amazing dinosaur skeleton in the Biology room. The teacher, Mr. Lindahall Reed, says it's a mix between a bird and a lizard. The name is long and I can't remember it but the room is amazing as well. It has so many plants and animals I can't believe the room can fit them all._

What else could she say? They didn't need to know that only Neal and Roald would talk to her, or that yesterday she had been doused in a bath of muddy water when she stepped out of her room. Thanks to that, she had been _very _late to breakfast and hardly had enough time to grab a bite for herself before the bell rang. She would just finish with that cheerful bit about the Bio room. She sent off the email and turned to pick up the charger on the ground. Her aching foot slipped off its cushion and banged against the foot of the bed. She yelped.

Someone knocked on the door. "Kel, open up. It's me, Neal."

"Drat," she muttered, and went to let him in.

As he stepped into the room, he saw her lucky cats. "Why are those things waving?"

She smiled. "The legend is that a cat waving to the first emperor drew him out of the path of an enemy arrow. The Yamanis make hundreds of them. They're supposed to bring luck."

"Good thing you have so many of them, then," remarked Neal, picking one up and examining it.

Kel made a face at him. "Very funny." She hobbled over and put the cat back where it belonged.

"I _thought_ you were limping in the mess," he said. "Did you take anything for it?"

"Nah," she said, bending down to rub a particularly achy part. "It'll be fine by tomorrow."

Neal shrugged, letting it go. "Why are you holed up in here?" He demanded instead. "Come study with Roald and me."

"I'm coming," she said, wincing as she bent down to pick up her bag. "I just had to finish an email home. I wanted to thank them for the cakes and things."

The walk to the library was long and Kel wanted to ask a question that had been bugging her for a while.

"Hey, Neal," she asked as he turned to look at her. "Why'd you come to the Academy?"

Neal stopped and sighed, surveying his long fingered hands. "On the Great Roll of Musicians in the Hall of Stars, twelve Queenscoves are listed – only Naxens have more. In the _Scroll of Success_, Jonathan Conte the First said that the talent and love for music runs deepest in four families: Legann, Naxen, ha Minch, and Queenscove. My brothers loved music more then anyone I know, I honor their memories this way."

"But it isn't the only service _you_ can give," protested Kel, thinking of Neal's intelligence. "You're brilliant. You've got straight A's. Why are you bashing about here?"

"Keeping you out of trouble," Neal said cheerfully. "As to your guitar," Kel's guitar had recently broken and she had been using a school's instrument for while now, "I have an idea."

"She was no scholar but she knew when a subject was closed. "I won't take another one!"

"I _know_ that," said Neal, exggeratedly impatient. "But perhaps we can have someone fix it. Come on."

He led her at a brick walk through the classroom floor, to a broad stair, up two stories, and down a hall. "Some of our teachers – the ones who don't live close by – live here during the year. You won't get these two until later this year in Instrumental Integration."

Neal strode to a door decorated with a bronze nameplate. _Numair Salmalin_ was engraced in the metal. Below it, in letters more recently added, was the name _Veralidaine Sarrasri_. He rapped hard, the waited, shifting his weight from foot to foot. _Why is he nervous, all of a sudden? _wondered Kel.

The door opened a crack and a young woman peered out. Brown curls tumbled around a face lit by blue-gray eyes. Her mouth was soft, her chin roundly stubborn. "Neal, hello," she whispered with a smile. "Did you want Numair? He's sleeping. He was up all last night and half today on an instrument."

"Actually, Daine, I wanted to ask a favor of you," Neal replied, keeping his voice t a whisper. He was even more nervous then he'd been a moment ago. "It's for my friend Kel, here. And her guitar."

_He likes her_, Kel realized with amusement. _A _lot. She'd had experience with crushes – none of them her own, of course, but her older sisters Adalia and Oranie were very prone to them.

Daine walked into the hall, closing the door gently. "A guitar?"

"It's broken and all jangled up," explained Neal. "But Kel won't give it up. Keladry Mindelan, this is Veralidaine Sarrasri. Daine, Kel.

Kel shook hands with the older woman.

"You're the one Wyldon has on probation." Daine told her with a nod. "Lindhall says he doesn't really like you. And Neal is clueless as usual."

Kel shrugged. She hardly knew what to say. She'd heard so many odd stories about this woman since her family had returned from the Yamani Islands.

"We were thinking – I was thinking – you might take a look," explained Neal. "The strings won't sit right and the neck is cracked up from the body to the pegs – can it be fixed?

"Let me see it," Daine replied. "What kind is it?" Her eyes focused on Kel's, as if she could see into the girl's heart.

"Ibanez Talman TCM60 Cutaway Acoustic-Electric," Kel said.

It wasn't until Daine smiled that Kel worked up the courage to look away from those blue-gray eyes. "Talman? Not one I know, but then, I have little to do with Ibanez guitars," she explained. "Let's have a look at it."

Neal did the talked as they walked down to Kel's room. He asked Daine a great many questions about people Kel did not know. She followed them, feeling out of place.

When they entered the dorms, Kel shyly pointed out her room. Daine went in and when they followed, she was already holding the fractured guitar, fiddling with the pegs, strings, and bridge. Ignoring them, Daine ran her hands over the guitar. The guitar slowly took shape again under her fingers. When she was finished, she placed the guitar carefully on the bed.

'What do you want with the guitar?" Daine asked Kel. "I can repair the body and the strings. You've done wonders with the tuning and the condition. But if you constantly change it around and use a capo, it will break again. I won't change it though."

"I wouldn't ask it," Kel said firmly. "We got on just fine. If the strings are the problem, I have different ones, and repairing it would be a blessing. I'm not one for using my fingers hard."

"Shows."

"She has to use a capo when we get to working only in certain pitches," Neal pointed out. "The St-Wyldon makes all the juniors and seniors use them."

"There are capos that don't press the neck hard," said Daine quietly. "I think it can handle that. You really want to keep it?"

Kel shrugged. "It's just going to the bin if I don't."

"I'll buy it," Daine offered. "I think I have enough. I'd take it off your hands and find you a better one."

Kel looked at the guitar. She felt a pang at giving it up. It was her first guitar that she could call her own. She had made the money for it, cleaning floors, babysitting, and dogwalking. She had her first real performance, her first audition, her first everything with it.

"Nah," Kel replied. "I'll keep it.

"That's that then," Daine remarked, her eyes twinkling. "I'll have it ready by morning."

* * *

Neal walked Daine back to her rooms. Kel returned to the dorms alone, feeling very much in the way and thinking of all the homework on her desk. On the way, she stopped in the mess hall and snagged a bag of chips from the array of snacks kept there.

She was near her room when voices drew her attention. They came from the hall ahead. "Musicians are supposed to be graceful, not clumsy." Kel knew Joren's mocking tones well after the past weeks. She froze.

"Clumsy?" She also knew Merric's voice.

Something clattered and crashed; a boy yelped. Kel turned into the hall to see what was going on.

Three upperclassmen stood over Merric, who had fallen. Apparently he had been drinking chocolate milk. Now the drink splashed everywhere and the bottle had rolled away.

"Don't just grove there," jeered Vinson, one of Joren's friends. "Stand and clean it up."

"Klutz. How do you expect to play on stage if you can barely walk in a straight line?" Joren smirked. She had heard whispers that Joren was a bully and took advantage of the freshmen, avoiding other grades.

Merric stood, dripping chocolate milk, his plae face crimson with shame. "It was only because you tripped me," he muttered under his breath.

Joren planted his hand on the smaller boy's back and shoved. Merric's feet slipped; he flew forward, landing on his face again. "You want to repeat the experience?"

Merric shook his head.

"That's what we thought," the third member of the trio, Zahir, added. Kel was torn. She wanted deeply to help Merric, more then she cared to admit. There was nothing she hated _more_ then bullies. But she wanted to stay at the Academy just as badly.

Merric caught sight of Kel and looked away. Kel remained where she was, frozen with indecision. And then, as much as it tore her apart to do so, for the first time in her life, Keladry Mindelan walked away from an injustice. Reaching the safety of her room, she locked the door behind her. Even there, she thought she could still hear the laughter of her conscience.

Somehow she managed a little homework before she gave up. She got into her pjamas, sweatpants and an old t-shirt from a friend back home, and crawled under the covers, shivering. Over and over she saw the scene in her mind, with poor Merric outnumbered and unable to get away. He'd been right to be afraid, she told herself repeatedly. _She'd _been right to be afraid.

Her thoughts wouldn't let her rest and finally, she could take it no longer. She got up, pulled a jacket over her shirt, and grabbed her guitar. It was only nine o'clock, there were still some study halls going on. Lights out wasn't until ten so she didn't have to worry about being yelled at. She slipped quietly into one of the soundproof rooms and tuned her guitar. The intro allowed her to cool off a little and she took a deep breath before being.

_I'm sorry for the demon I've become  
You should be sorry for the angel you are not  
I apologize for cruel things I did  
But I don't regret one single word I said _

Gods, she could just imagine how she'd pummel Joren into the ground. All the gods-awful things she'd say to him. She wanted to make him so _sorry!_

_Just walk away make it easy on yourself  
Just walk away please release me from this hell  
Just walk away there's just nothing left to feel  
Just walk away pretend that none of this is real  
_

She wanted him to feel the helplessness Merric felt. The injustice rubbed her raw. She wanted to forget about it, but she couldn't.

_Could you forgive me if I told you that I cared  
Would you be sorry if I swore that I'd be there  
Please forgive me for laughing when you'd fall  
I'm so sorry but I never cared at all  
_

She laughed at Joren's patheticness. His arrogance, his natural charisma, his annoying good looks that she never cared about.

_Just walk away make it easy on yourself  
Just walk away please release me from this hell  
Just walk away there's just nothing left to feel  
Just walk away pretend that none of this is, none of this is_

_Just walk away make it easy on us both  
Just walk away there was never any hope  
Just walk away you already know the deal  
Just walk away pretend that none of this was real_

She let the last note fade out, satisfied with her vent. Next time, Joren would regret picking on anyone. Oh, how she wished she could fight him off! but she was on probation. The boys didn't have to worry if they fought. Only Keladry Mindelan was served _that_ bowl of sour soup. She shoved her self pity aside and let a smile creep up on her face. Next time, Joren wouldn't even know what hit him. Literally.

* * *

welll? did you guys like peachblossom little peep in? was it surprising? disappointing?

tell me, tell me, tell me!

review replies, dun duh dah!

**AnnaFantasyGirl - **why thank you! real sweet of you! i know, its your life by bon jovi is amazing!

**Jasper winked - **hahaha, i loved the punch too. i'm trying to keep it as canon as possible so i'm glad you like kel.

**EcoEmo404 - **are you a villian-lover kind of person? that they do, i'll have to give you that one. was joren as you expected here?

**domsdirtysecret - **i think you subconsciously knew about you know what. you just came up with one! tkaa was iffy. i wasnt sure about him. glad you like him where he is. venting with her music instead of her glaive is exactly what i was working for! :) i think our deal can continue. hahaha, dom's coming, i promise.

well? have you reviewed yet? yes? no? well do it now!


	7. Struggles

this chapter doesnt have any lyrics. but the next one is going to be interesting i promise. i have great plans for for Kel.

the song here is what she has as her alarm. it could work for the rest of the chapter. its called to zanarkand from final fantasy X.

update on my music life. chad smith came to my school and my band played with him. on the fun side, we played with him. on the down side, he broke our base drum. we have it signed and hanging on our wall. it's pretty funny. and my band made up our own song! its pretty awesome. only you can't hear me singing and you only hear our teacher, who is kind of tone deaf when he sings so it sounds weird.

sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. my computer had a virus and i was struggling with school stuff. anyway, enough about me. enjoy!

Song in the chapter

To Zanarkand - Final Fantasy X

* * *

Chapter 7: Struggles

The first thing that she noticed that was not part of her unhappy night was the soft music coming from her alarm. The piano drifted softly through her ears, making her fingers itch to play it. It went up and down the G major scale and shifted into higher up before coming back down. Her fingers itched to play it on her keyboard. As she sang along, a soft breeze wafted through. Kel looked at her windows, certain she had not opened her lower set of shutters the night before. She was right. Only the small upper shutters were open. She closed those and rubbed her arms which had grown chill. The music from her alarm clock kept going as she got ready, pulling on her uniform and a warm jacket to go with it. She left the room afterwards, the beautiful song still in her mind as she hummed the melody, the memory of last night haunting her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to forget.

* * *

In the mess hall, Neal squinted at her as she toyed with her breakfast. "You look as bad as I feel," he croaked. "Where's the sunny smile? The 'Hello, Neal, isn't it a _wonderful_ day to be alive in the Academy?' pain-in-the-bum greeting I usually get?"

Kel considered shoving her porridge into his face and decided against it. "I don't know," she said at last. "Why don't you go look for it?"

Neal sat up. "Ouch. It bites."

"What's that supposed to mea?" She demanded sharply, tired of hiding the way she felt. "That I'll say 'yes' and 'gods bless you' to anything, smile, and go along no matter what? Never argue, never complain?"

Neal looked more awake with every word. He ran his fingers through his hair. "What's gotten into you? Did somebody put hot peppers in your shower water?"

"Nothing." Kel slammed her bowl onto her ray and carried it to the bins at the back of the room.

Neal stopped her at the mess hall door. "Did something happen last night after you left?"

"Nothing," she said, biting off the words. "Not one gods-blest thing." She left him to finish breakfast and went back to her room for her sweater instead of her jacket.

She was halfway there when Cleon stopped her. He was a junior, a joker who still sported a tan from days spent in the outdoors.

"You know," he said. "We all thought you wouldn't last this long."

Kel stared at him, thinking, _What an odd thing to say!_ "Last this long today or last this long five weeks?" she asked.

"In music. You know." He spread his arms, taking in their surroundings. "Everyone had bets on that you'd run before a week was up." He shook his head, smiling. "You might want to run now, while you still have the energy. Wyldon will never let you stay."

"He might surprise you," Kel retorted, keeping her emotions out of her face.

Cleon smiled oddly. "He never surprises anyone." He sauntered away, hands in his pockets.

_Maybe he doesn't know Wyldon as well as he thinks he does, _Kek thought grimly as she walked to her next class. _I have to believe that. _

_

* * *

_

Later that morning, when the freshmen arrived at their Instrumental Integration class, they were told to go to the inside stage. When they arrived, new equipment had been placed beside their normal instruments and gear. The most important item, a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI & Guitar Preamp, boasted the ability to shape the tone of their music.

Most of the music teachers turned out to help show the freshmen how to handle the new material: preamp, cords, power amps, a chromatic tuner, and an assortment of effect pedals in a rack-mount. Daine had fixed Kel's guitar and it sounded as good as new.

It took practice to get the new things functioning to Wyldon's satisfaction. He and Ezeko were the leaders in this endeavor to teach the freshmen. Kel found it hard to believe that one day she would have to do all this alone, on stage before hundreds. It was a daunting idea.

Once everyone was situated, tuned, and set up, Wyldon picked up a guitar already set and slung the strap over his shoulder, adjusting it across his body till he was comfortable.

"Once, different types of music were solely for different types of instruments. Different music was created and there was a question on whether tradition must come in step with modern times. But then, the Immortals came along and changed everything. Their first lead musician played a variety of instruments and revolutionized music beyond that of Jason Conte, and his grandfather. He showed that it was possible to play anything on almost any instrument." Wyldon said loudly. He played a lick of jazz chords and merged it with classic arpeggios and converted it into rock triads. "Modern day music can be written for almost any instrument. One of the most important aspects for a modern day musician then is to know and be able to play most everything and most genres of music. Today we begin that attempt. Gods willing, we will succeed." Kel was unsure if he said that for real or was sarcastic.

After his small speech, Wyldon taught them different ways to play the D major, minor, major 7, minor 7, seventh, 7sus4, ninth, 7 sharped 9, 7 flated nine, thirteenth, 7 flated 13, and minor 7 flated fifth, all the basic chords on the guitar using the new effects pedals. Then they began to experiment using different chords that Wyldon called out along with the associated effect pedal. While in a group, it was easy for Kel to hide her weakness, the inability to get her pinky to stretch far enough and curve nicely. She had struggled with it since she began playing and no amount of practice seemed to help it. When Wyldon began to go around individually, calling out to a boy and having him play what Wyldon demanded, Kel noticed that the other older students were also there. She began to sweat, feeling the pressure of her probation. Silently, she practiced getting her pinky finger far enough.

The seniors hit almost every note Wyldon called out, but the younger the student, the more likely he would miss a note coupled with its effect or the effect coupled with the note. At last it was the freshmen's turn. Kel grew more and more nervous, wiping sweaty palms on her uniform. She knew before he hit the note that Neal would miss the effect.

_We thank the gods for the blessings we have_, she thought gloomily and looked up to Wyldon as he arrived at her chair. He resettled her grip slightly with impersonal hands, checked that all the cables were in their correct outlets, and stood away at last. "There will be a moment's delay between you pressing the pedal and the effect occurring," he told her as he'd told the other freshmen. "Remember that and put it to use. Don't be surprised if you don't get it, this is your first time. And be careful with the guitar, it's likely to pop a string."

Kel struggled to remember everything he and the other teachers had told her. The information was quite happy to be forgotten.

"3rd fret, D major7, mute the last two string, blues distortion," ordered Wyldon.

Kel tapped the pedal and played the chord. She winced slightly as her pinky was out of tune. Wyldon's eyebrow rose.

"3rd fret, D major 13, overdrive," he said.

She did, and suppressed a moan as her pinky barely made it work. Wyldon's eyebrow rose another quarter inch.

"3rd fret, D 6/9 root, fuzzbox," he demanded quickly. Her pinky barely made it and she, forgetting her guitar's new more fragile state, put her fingers down more harshly then before. The neck, not able to take it, wobbled slightly and the pegs turned, unable to stay consistent, and the ending result was a deeply out of tune chord. In her mind, Kel swore with every dirty word she knew.

"That guitar is too delicate for higher chords," someone called. "I'm surprised you let him use it, Cavall."

Kel wilted. The Academy students had learned to ignore the onlookers who came to watch their occasional classes held in the auditorium or outside.

"The probationer picked that guitar herself, Goldenlake," replied Wyldon coolly. "She had her choice of guitars just like the others."

Humiliated, Kel contented herself with tuning her guitar. Once she unplugged it and connected it to the tuner, it was happy to succumb to her fingers. She finished and looked up.

A group of musicians with guitars, drum cases, bass guitars, and even a few keyboards strapped to their backs watched from the far end of the stage. They wore an array of color but all had a band of blue, silver, and white on their arms. The mark of the huge orchestral band, the King's Own.

Kel wished she could just sink into the group ad prayed her face showed none of her humiliation. These men were as admired as the Academy alumni and they had seen her disgraceful try. Most were grinning.

One of them, a very tall, big man with rosy cheeks and black eyes stared at Kel. "This is the girl?" he asked, startled. It was he who had commented to Wyldon.

The Vice Chancellor grimaced. "Keladry Mindelan. She knows she may exchange her guitar for another, and has chosen not to do so. Have you something we can assist you with?"

The big man shook his head. "Not this time. We're just going to see play with Tauros. They've asked us for some help."

"No doubt they just want to see their competition." A Bazhir with the group commented dryly.

Kel was trying to remember who was in Tauros and what kind of genre they played when the big man touched his fingers to his forehead in an ironic salute and walked off, the other men close behind him.

"If we may proceed?" Wyldon asked the students. "You will have plenty of chances to gawk at Raoul Malory Goldenlake in the future."

Kel bit the inside of her cheek. Raoul Malory Goldenlake was the leader of the King's Own in almost everything, one of Tortall's finest performers.

Neal walked over to her as Wyldon strode to the next boy. "Are you alright?"

Kel shook her head. "Just embarrassed."

"Don't fret. No one hits it perfect on the first try.

"But in front of Raoul Malory Goldenlake," she replied in a low voice. "Whose guitar broke three strings in _a concert_ and he still played everything right."

"It was only a half an hour before he got a new one on stage." Neal informed her.

"Oh, well, I don't feel half so stupid now," muttered Kel. Time to change subject. "What was that about us helping the King's Own?"

"The Stump likes us to get performance experience and to help backstage and stuff. If there's something close by, the King's Own lets us perform with them."

Kel nodded and turned her attention back to Wyldon who began to give a lecture about the best times to use the effect pedals. They went around individually four more times; not once did she hit the right note with her pinky. Then, when the class was done, she cleaned the new equipment, put her name on them, and only then did she trudge back up to the dorms to put away her things.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Neal asked as they stood in line for lunch. "You've been quiet all day, not that you ever chatter." He peered at her so worriedly that Kel had to smile.

"I didn't sleep well, that's all," she told him. "I'm sorry I was grumpy."

"Stop pushing, Esmond!" growled someone from behind her. The next minute, Kel was knocked out of line. Turning, she saw that the one who had bumped her was Merric. Beet-red, he mumbled an apology and shoved Esmond in revenge. It gave him an excuse to turn his back on Kel as she resumed her place.

_He can't even look me_, she thought miserably, leaning against the wall. _And I can't look at him. Wonderful_.

She made it to her first academic class barely on time. Someone had slicked the floor in front of her door and she had had to change. Only when she was down and had begun to sort out the mess of her books and papers did she see how little she'd finished the night before. When Mr. Yayin, the English teacher, requested her homework, she stood and admitted she didn't have it.

The teacher's thick brows came together in a scowl.

"Very well, Keladry," he said. "Report to us orally on the chapter you were to write about."

Kel swallowed hard, fighting to keep her emotions in check. "I did not read it, Mr. Yayin," she replied, staring past him.

"No sense arguing with a _girl_," someone at the back of the room muttered.

"Silence!" The teacher snapped. His favored prop was a long wooden rod he used as a pointer. In the first week of classes, Kel had learned that the rod also indicated the teacher's moods. Now he tapped its point slowly and steadily on the floor.

_Bad sign, _thought Kel, damp at her temples and palms. _Very bad sign. _

"Have you an explanation?"

Kel remembered that here, explanations were excuses. "No, Mr. Yayin." She squeezed the words out of a tight throat.

"Very well. Then tomorrow you will summarize the next three chapters in the book. Sit down."

Kel sat.

* * *

In mathematics, she winced when she saw how creased and blotted her sheet of last night's problems was. She turned it in anyway, and sat through class with shoulders hunched, waiting for the reprimand. Mr. Ivor liked to correct their work at his desk as one of them solved a problem on a large dry erase board in the front of the room; somehow he did both easily. Papers, with his written comments were handed back at the end of class. He gave Kel hers with raised eyebrows, then passed on to the next student. There was a comment on there asking her to redo it and she was so relieved, she could have kissed him. Math was, after all, her favorite class.

Mr. Myles didn't assign any homework either but she spent his entire class on nails, worrying if he might call on her. Finally, as the class ended and she prepared to make her way to the Biology room, he asked, "Keladry? Might I have a word?"

"He probably wants to know what the Yamanis have for breakfast," Neal murmured out of the side of his mouth.

Kel frowned at her friend and walked up to the plump teacher's desk. "Is everything well?" Mr. Myles wanted to know. "You look exhausted. The boys aren't hounding you, are they?"

Kel shook her head nervously. "No. I'm good. Couldn't be better actually."

His beautifully curved eyebrows rose. "Of course, it'd be contrary of you to complain."

At last-answers she knew! "Of course."

Myles sighed, scratching the side of his head. "Very well, I won't keep you much longer. But I am curious about the Yamani musicians. What are they like?"

"Won't say a word if the sky fell on them." Kel said instantly and then horrified, cut herself off. What a thing to say to her teacher! He would probably think her disrespectful-

To her relief, Myles started to laugh. "I've heard of this odd behavior," he admitted. "But you like them?"

"Oh yes!" She replied, nodding. "They can play almost _anything_."

Myles smiled, lighting up his face. "Run along to Lindhall. And, Keladry–"

She turned halfway from the door. "Yes?"

"If you need a friend – if you need someone to talk to – my room is upstairs."

She stared at him for a moment. The Lioness's adoptive father was offering _her_ friendship!

"Thank you, Mr. Myles," she said, and nodded her head deeply.

Myles waved her on.

* * *

Somehow Kel got through the rest of the afternoon without further mishap. She'd completed her homework for Mr. Lindhall and Mr. Oakbridge, and could hand it in with a free conscience.

As she changed into a dress for supper, memories of her flight from Joren and his friends, kept at bay by the music and worry about class work, came rushing back. Angry with herself, she turned off the electric feature and strummed it, making sure the acoustic function still worked. It did. She spent the rest of the time before supper practicing placing her pinky in tune.

_Enough fussing_, she ordered herself. _Next time I'll just say something, is all. I won't have another day when I go around feeling like a whipped dog because I turned my back on Merric!_

At supper, Roald and Neal discussed problems with girls that boys usually go through while Kel considered her problem with her pinky. It was odd, because none of the other boys seemed to have trouble with it and she'd have thought that girl's fingers were longer. After that morning though, she had to change her thoughts.

_I have to work on it harder, _decided Kel. _I'll have to work on that muscle. _

She fiddled with her spoon, wondering if she'd ever be able to reach her cursed pinky that far. The Jorne's voice rang out across the room: "I swear, those Music Theory teachers have an exercise for _everything_."

A few boys laughed, Wyldon sent a cold look in that direction. The dinner was over and Neal turned to Kel, "Are you studying with us tonight?"

"In a while," she promised. "Do you know where I can find Eda Bell?" For once, Joren had helped her. If anyone would know how to make her pinky stronger, it would be a professional women musician who had no trouble with it.

She had to try a couple places that Neal and Roald suggested, but was successful at last. Eda Bell was more then happy to show Kel exercises for her pinky and had her do a few. The one that was the hardest was that Kel had to curl her pinky and place it on her thumb, tapping it up and down, making sure to put it in the same spot each time. Kel only managed a few minutes of those before her pinky started to hurt. Eda promised her that if she did that often, like when she was bored in class, she would do better soon.

* * *

well, i know it was kind of short, but whaddaya think?

Review replies

**SilverGoldsun - .Day - **i know, i want her to kick his ass too. who was in the band? (want to see if you were paying attention :)

**domsdirtysecret - **no. nothing really happened at the concert at the Cafe. we played price of freedom from final fantasy 7 for fun, one of the guys wrote a song called friends that we played, and freddie the freeloader by miles davis i think. jump will definitely appear. i'm working on it. i love how daine and numair came in too. did you catch the dom reference? i like the binding idea.

**AnnaFantasyGirl - **i have to agree with you about the email. i read back over it and it does sound formal. no problem, i enjoyed it too!

**iwandamonian - **thank you. i'm sorry it wasnt a fast update. i've had a lot of wacky stuff to deal with :)

Please review!


	8. An ASS Out Of U And ME

so, i guess i have to start this with an apology and an explaination. long story short, i didnt have the book for a while and someone said something that was really true and i couldnt bring myself to continue. it could have been a reviewer and it could have been someone i showed this too. anyway, basically, i was having confidence issues and then something came up and i was emotionally unable to continue. so, tonight, it's 8:15 PM where i am as i'm writing this and i started writing it at around 4:30 in the afternoon, i came up with this. i'm actually pretty satisfied with it.

update on my musical life: wow, am i shocked at what's happening there. so, basically, i met all time low and hey monday (MY FAVORITE BANDS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD NO MATTER WHAT I SAY) got their autographs and Hey Monday's new CD, Beneath It All, and...wait for it...i might get a record deal with this guy, evan elton. check out his music on his myspace, it's pretty awesome. and, i have auditions and guess what song i'm playing on my cello for it? okay, well, you guys are never gonna guess cause you dont know me, so i'm gonna tell you. Secrets by OneRepublic. they're a close third after ATL and HM (haha, like H & M) in my band faves. my teacher and i figured it out by ear all by ourselves. it's pretty sweet.

anyway, i'll get on with the chapter. it's pretty long so i hope you'll forgive me

Songs in this Chapter

The Last Song by All American Rejects

Love Drunk by Boys Like Girls

Time Of Your Life by Green Day

This is War by 30 Seconds To Mars

Wish You Were Here by Hey Monday

Wonder Girl by Hey Monday (Hey Monday is exactly how i picture Kel's style of music and everything)

* * *

Chapter 8: When You Assume, You Make An "ASS" Out Of "U" And "ME"

The weekend passed by slowly and Kel spent most of it in her room, working on homework and her project for Composition class. But Neal refused to let her hole up by herself and he and Roald helped her. Neal helped her with her Composition homework and Roald, surprisingly, was willing to help her with her English and Science work. She was astonished because, even though Roald sat with her and Neal often, he had never made an attempt at conversation with her. When she mentioned that to him, he only smiled and began to explain the Kreb's Cycle to her. She quickly forgot about his previous disinterest in her. Though she spent a lot of time working on her homework, Kel hardly had any time that weekend to speak to her family and it showed in the overflow of texts, emails, and calls that constantly interrupted her studying. Finally she had to tell each one that the work load here was very heavy, she would call them at a later time, and if they could please wait for her to call because she had many tests to study for. Then after she was finished with her family and homework, she, Roald, and Neal went off campus to explore Corus and an idea began to form in Kel's mind. As they past a prank store, she stopped and told her plan to the other two. They grinned, agreed to help her, and stepped inside.

They returned to the Academy with three bags full and hid them in Kel's room before saying good night.

* * *

Monday dawned cold, wet, and dreary as rain pounded down onto the roof. By nightfall, she was tired, grumpy, and was already wishing for another weekend. Then she had to practice her guitar and keyboard. It was nice at least to escape in the music but she wished only to sleep.

Tuesday was more of the same. Only Neal's muttering made Kel smile that day. In Instrumental Integration, she never hit the pinky note. The snickers from the pages rang in her ears, but she kept going, ignoring them as best she could. By the time the class was over, she wanted to crawl into a dark corner and die.

She was the last to finish cleaning her equipment and the last to put it all away. By the time she took care of her guitar, all the others were gone; she had to hurry if she wanted to eat enough at lunch. As she opened the door to leave, her feet slid out from under her and suddenly she was drenched in icy cold water. Looking up, she saw the bucket over the door prank someone had played on her. _Joren_, she thought, fury pounding at her temples and behind her eyes. _No one else would be so juvenile. _

It was time to strike back in this war.

* * *

Neal and, surprisingly Roald were more then happy to help her set up her trap in an empty classroom she knew that Joren and his cronies frequented. It was tedious work but Kel couldn't wait to see Joren's face when he triggered it.

Compared to her morning and afternoon, the rest of the day was boring and mind-numbingly so. She fidgeted around, knowing that today was the day when she stopped playing the shy newcomer. Joren and his friends were going to get a faceful of their own medicine. Neal begged to come at their study session but Kel didn't want him to be involved if things went badly and she was found out. So she persuaded him to stay as she got up and began to walk down the hallway. Passing the classroom, she listened outside the open door, grinning as she heard the slam of a heavy book striking the floor.

"Pick that up for me, will you, Merric?" That voice was Joren's. Her heart drummed in her chest.

"Yes, Joren," she heard Merric say dully. Peeking in, Kel saw Merric place a fat volume on the table next to the blond page.

As he did, Zahir shoved another heavy book off the table. "Pick it up," said Vinson Genlith, cackling with mirth. "Can't have books on the floor."

Merric stared at the older boys with resentment, then got the book.

Joren immediately pushed his volume of the table. As Merric stared at him, Joren then lifted a stack of smaller books with a taunting smile. His eyes never left Merric's as he let them drop to the floor one by one.

Kel's stomach tightened. She took a deep breath and walked into the classroom.

"Aren't we the big man? Do you feel unburdened now that you've let some books fall?" She taunted, halting in front of the blond.

"Oh, look – it's the Girl." On the other side of the table, Vinson got to his feet. "Do you want trouble, probationer?" He asked, grinning. "We'd just _loooove _to give it to you."

"No, I don't want it," Kel replied, thinking quickly. She needed Joren to be the trigger, not stupid Vinson. "What I want is for you to leave the freshmen alone."

Joren stared at her, his blue eyes bright. "I see," he said in a thoughtful tone. "We haven't gotten rid of you yet, so you think you're accepted. Meric, pick up those books."

"Don't, Merric," Kel said. This was her chance to get Joren up. And it worked. As the confused Merric looked from Kel to Joren, the older boy sighed

"Oh, this is too much," he said. "You need to learn your proper place."

"Oh yeah?" She fired back. "And how are you going to do that?"

Joren took a step forward. _Three._ And another. _Two._ And another. _One._ Kel thought, satisfied. Joren's foot caught on the piece of fishing line that was between his table and Zahir's. Startled, he fell, his foot still caught. A small catapult Kel had bought from the prank store whired as it threw mud at the three boys. By the time, it had totally uploaded, they were covered in mud. Kel had escaped it completely and Merric seemed to have vanished sometime.

"Now you look like how you act. Like _pigs_," she snarled and turned her back on them, leaving it to them to hide the evidence, knowing that they wouldn't risk telling everyone she had pranked them for fear of losing their status.

_Next time, _she thought fiercely, _they better think again before they mess with me. _

_

* * *

_

When she returned to her room, Neal was waiting for her.

"Come on," he said, standing up from his place on her bed as she walked in.

"Neal, I still have homework I have to finish up," she whined, trying wheedle her way out of what she feared was one of his mad schemes.

"There's someone I want you to meet." He grabbed her arm and began to drag her down the hall. She yanked her arm out of his grip but resigned herself to following him. He led her out of the dorms to the outdoor auditorium where they found their way through a maze of people setting up equipment for a performance. Kel found it difficult to weave her way through them because she had no idea where they were going. Neal didn't make it easier, going faster ahead of her until finally, she couldn't see him anymore and was lost in the crowd.

"Young lady, are you alright?" A man's voice sounded from behind her and she turned. He was a tall, weary-looking man, dressing in a black shit and pants with a dark gray jacket.

"I think so. I was following my friend but he went too fast and I couldn't follow-" She was cut off by Neal.

"Keladry Mindelan, you are the slowest person ever. Did someone strike your fancy while I was gone? Did you pine for them, clutching your hands at your bossom?" The boy in question appeared, doing exactly what he was saying and breaking out into laughter.

"You may have noticed my son has an endless capacity for dramatics." The man told Kel dryly. She glanced at him, startled.

"You're Neal's dad?"

Baird Queenscove smiled at her. "The one and only." Now that she looked, she could see the same nose on both him and his son. His eyes were a darker green than Neal's, set deep under straight brows. There was a red tint to his brown hair that was absent in his son's but their direct gaze that seemed to see through everything was the same.

"I was bored and I thought you'd want to meet him," Neal said, shrugging.

"Nice to know I'm so high up on your list," Baird replied. "Here I thought I might give my son, who happened to come down to meet his father instead of doing his homework out of the goodness of his heart, those tickets and backstage passes to the King's Own concert. But, if he doesn't love his father…" The man grinned as Neal began to apologize profusely and plead that he really did love his father, he was just joking. Kel laughed as she watched the father-son interaction. It was really funny but it made her miss her parents all the more.

* * *

The next day, Kel woke up shivering. Even with a jacket and a sweater, the cold managed to seep into her clothes. Around eight forty-five, snow began to fall and everyone groaned. They still had Instrumental Integration outside. They would have to spend most of the class making sure their instruments stayed in tune. However, after Music Theory, Wyldon walked into the room and told them Instrumental Integration was cancelled and instead they had a Composition and a class called Performance that, only for today, would last until Lunch and resume afterwards until it was finished. Homework for the academic classes could be picked up from their teacher's offices later.

Someone, Quinden it sounded like, groaned but was instantly silenced by Wyldon's frosty glare.

But Kel was happy because she didn't have to embarrass herself today. Composition passed quickly and then, she, Neal, and Roald made their way to the indoor auditorium. Once everyone arrived, Ezeko went to the front of the room with, surprisingly, Daine.

"Over the course of this year," Ezeko began. "You all have been asked to write music that surpasses your boundaries of comfort. Today, and every day following, we will commence with learning a successful musician's primary skill, how to perform. This is an important talent and even the Immortals spend this time when venues choose not to be open to take the time to work on it." Ezeko's hard eyes went over the room and for some reason, Kel felt like he was teaching them how to fight in a war. Then, he added dryly with glaring eyes, "Don't squander this chance." Then Ezeko consulted a clipboard in his hands and looked out across the room at the high schoolers. It was then that Kel realized that the ninth graders were joined by the rest of the school. _Great_, she thought. _We have to perform in front of everyone!_

"Roald Conte," Ezeko called out. "You are to go first." Roald nodded and pulling his guitar out of its case, he motioned for the rest of his band, Cleon Kennan, Faleron King Reach, and surprisingly, Esmond Nicoline, to the stage where a drum set, and a piano were already set up. Kel alsmot laughed to herself when she realized that these boys were the group she had heard play in the side room that first day.

Cleon went straight to the drums as Faleron picked up his bass guitar and Esmond nimbly crept up to the piano. Kel had learned that Esmond was shy and quiet everywhere but the piano. Roald himself made his way to center front stage where a microphone was waiting for him. They set up quickly, and everyone fell silent as Roald stepped up to the microphone. He looked to Esmond who began to play. After a few measures, Roald launched into singing without playing.

_This may be the last thing that I write for long  
Can you hear me smiling when I sing this song?  
For you and only you  
_

He let go of the microphone stand as Cleon began to tap the cymbals and strummed his guitar.

_As I leave will you be someone to say good-bye?  
As I leave will you be someone to wipe your eye?  
My foot is out the door and you can't stop me now_

_You wanted the best  
It wasn't me  
Will you give it back?  
Now I'll take the lead  
When there's no more room to make it grow  
I'll see you again  
You'll pretend you're naive  
Is this what you want?  
Is this what you need?  
How you end up? Let me know_

_As I go remember all the simple things you know  
My mind is just a crutch and I still hope  
That you will miss me when I'm gone  
This is the last song_

Kel found herself tapping her foot in time to the music and looked to Neal who was grinning at the lyrics which were so unlike Roald. Roald was clearly having fun onstage, bobbing his head and doing tricks with his guitar. Cleon occasionally threw his sticks into the air while keeping time. Faleron and Esmond just sang the base part with grins on their faces.

_The hearts start breaking as the year is gone  
The dream's beginning and the time rolls on  
It seems so surreal  
And now I sing it  
Somehow I knew that it would be this way  
Somehow I knew that it would slowly fade  
Now I am gone  
Just try and stop me now_

_You wanted the best  
It wasn't me_ _  
Will you give it back?  
Now I'll take the lead  
When there's no more room to make it grow  
I'll see you again  
You'll pretend you're naive  
Is this what you want?  
Is this what you need?  
How you end up? Let me know_

_As I go remember all the simple things you know  
My mind is just a crutch and I still hope  
That you will miss me when I'm gone  
This is the last song_

_Will you need me now  
You'll find a way somehow  
You wanted to  
I want it too  
_

Then they all started to play together in a catchy beat that had everyone leaning forward before launching into the chorus again and Faleron topped Roald's tricks with his guitar with a trick of his own.

_As I go remember all the simple things you know  
My mind is just a crutch and I still hope  
That you will miss me when I'm gone  
This is the last song_

_As I go remember all the simple things you know  
My mind is just a crutch and I still hope  
That you will miss me when I'm gone  
This is the last song_

When the song finished and everyone had cheered and whistled, Ezeko and Daine gave the band critiques and comments on what they could do better. Ezeko would point out the bad things and Daine would point out the good things. They had the band play two more songs and then Cleon got to lead the band in a song he wrote, then Faleron, and then Esmond.

Then Neal was called up and he went up with Kel and Merric. Merric made his way to the drums this time and Kel had her guitar while Neal would play the piano. Depending on the song, they would switch instruments. Neal signaled them which song and they grinned. Esmond looked at Neal and they both started at the same time.

_Hey, hey, hey, hey_

_Top down in the summer sun  
The day we met was like a hit and run  
And I still taste it on my tongue  
(Taste it on my tongue)_

_The sky was burning up like fireworks  
You made me want you, oh, so bad it hurt  
But girl, in case you haven't heard  
_

Kel strummed harder on the guitar, raising the volume. Merric and Neal followed.

_I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, forever is over  
We used to kiss all night, now it's just a bar fight  
So don't call me crying, say hello then goodbye  
(Oh yeah!)_

_There's just one thing would make me say  
(Oh yeah!)  
I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, but now it's over  
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey)_

She and Merric accompanied Neal on the "hey"s before he launched into the next verse.

_Hot sweat and blurry eyes  
We're spinning on a roller coaster ride  
The world stuck in black and white  
(Stuck in black and white)_

_You drove me crazy every time we touched  
Now I'm so broken that I can't get up  
Oh girl, you make me such a lush_

_I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, forever is over  
We used to kiss all night, now it's just a bar fight  
So don't call me crying, say hello then goodbye  
(Oh yeah!)_

_There's just one thing would make me say  
(Oh yeah!)  
I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, but now it's over_

_All the time I wasted on you  
All the bullshit you put me through  
I'm checking into rehab 'cause everything that we had  
Didn't mean a thing to you_

Kel stopped playing and let Neal and Meric have their solos.

_I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, but now I'm sober_

_I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, forever is over  
We used to kiss all night, now it's just a bar fight  
So don't call me crying, say hello then goodbye  
(Oh yeah!)_

_There's just one thing would make me say  
(Oh yeah!)  
I used to be love drunk, but now I'm hungover  
I love you forever, but now it's over_

_Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
_

Once everyone caught the rhythm, the audience sang along with Neal.

_Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Now it's over, I still taste it on my tongue  
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na  
Na, na, na, na, na, na  
Now it's over  
_

Kel had her last strum and let it fade. There was a pause as the music ended before the auditorium filled with cheers. After the critiques, they played two more songs, switching around instruments, and then it was Merric's turn. He was careful not to look at Kel, only speaking with her when necessary. He switched to the bass guitar, Neal to the piano, and Kel stayed on the guitar. He signaled to Kel to begin and she nodded.

She had a little solo of a few measure before Merric joined in.

_Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road  
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go  
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why  
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time_

_It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life._

Then Neal joined in and he and Kel had another little solo before Merric began to sing again.

_So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind  
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time  
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial  
For what it's worth it was worth all the while_

_It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life.  
_

Then Merric stopped singing and let Kel and Neal have another solo, longer this time. When the solo was finished, he came in softly.

_It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life._

_It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right.  
I hope you had the time of your life. _

Kel strummed the last few chords away and the auditorium was filled with noise. Once again, the teachers critiqued and they played the mandatory two more songs in a style that was different from the singer's.

Then it was Kel's turn.

She felt herself begin to grow cold with nerves and suppressed a shiver. She looked at Neal who smiled reassuringly back at her. Then she stepped up to the singer's microphone with her guitar and could have cut the silence that followed with a butter knife. She decided to start with a simple song to show her style before moving on. Meaningful, showed her opinion, and was musical enough to show she had what it took.

She took a deep breath, told Merric and Neal what song it was, and launched into it. It was kind of funny because her song was best started in silence.

_A warning to the people,  
The good and the evil,  
This is war.  
_

She couldn't help but look at Joren when she said the third line. He was fuming in the corner.

_To the soldier, the civilian,  
The martyr, the victim,  
This is war._

_It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie,  
The moment to live and the moment to die,  
The moment to fight, the moment to fight  
To fight, to fight, to fight!  
_

Everyone knew what she was fighting here. She started to get into the music and forgot about her audience.

_To the right, To the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
From the last to the first_

_To the right, To the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world!  
_

She was going to forge a new world here at Corus Knight's Music Academy. Just anyone tell her she wouldn't. Or wasn't for that matter.

_A warning to the prophet,  
The liar, the honest,  
This is war._

_To the leader, the pariah,  
The victor, the messiah,  
This is war._

_It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie,  
The moment to live and the moment to die,  
The moment to fight, the moment to fight,  
To fight, to fight, to fight!_

_To the right, To the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
From the last to the first_

_To the right, To the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world!_

Remembering she was performing here, she sang her lung's out. Slowing the music down, she went into the bridge.

_I do believe in the light  
Raise your hands into the sky  
The fight is done, the war is won  
Lift your hands toward the sun  
Toward the sun  
Toward the sun  
Toward the sun  
The war is won  
_

She was going to win the war for her place at the Academy alright. And throw the words of those who doubted her back in their face.

_To the right, To the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
From the last to the first_

_To the right, To the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world!  
_

Neal and Merric went into their doubles of the singing and sang the background as she finished up the song.

_A brave new world  
The war is won  
The war is won  
A brave new world  
_

Together, the three of them finished the song and when they ended the last note, applause came from the back of the room where the seniors were and slowly made its way forward. There were people who didn't clap but they didn't manage to get on Kel's radar. She and Neal slapped high fives and Merric nodded carefully at her.

Ezeko and Daine were conversing in quiet tones and finally, Daine made her way toward the stage. It was surprising because she, or Ezeko, had done it for any other student. Kel went down on one knee to hear what Daine had to say.

"Excellent, Keladry," she congradulated, eyes shining. "Your guitar is holding up wonderfully. Don't be afraid to do tricks and move around here, it is expected." She smiled again. "We would like to ask you to play something a little bit more open. Something very different from your usual style."

Kel grinned. She knew just the song. It wasn't her usual style but she felt it was her _real _style.

She told Merric and Neal what song it was and got ready. This song was one she had wrote when she was lonely one night but she totally fell in love with it and couldn't bring herself to make it her lonely song.

The piano started and she waited a few beats before she burst in with her guitar and Merric backed her. She started to sing and belted out the song with all the feeling in her heart.

_Here's my heart in a postcard, darling  
Just one step from the edge  
Sleep alone and it's so hard, darling  
You're next to me in my head_

_But it's too late, too late to call  
Are you out there?  
Too late, too much to say  
_

They paused and in that pause, she saw the jaws dropping at the sudden change of style. Grinning, she went into the next verse. So much for assuming things about her!

_Wish you were here  
Wish you well  
If you'd only share this hell  
But you leave, and stains are left on me  
I wish you, I wish you were here  
I wish you, I wish you were here_

_Here's my Hollywood ending calling  
Every day fades to black  
Sick and tired of pretending, darling  
That you'll ever come back_

_But it's too late, too late to call  
Are you out there?  
Too late, too much to say_

_Wish you were here  
Wish you well  
If you'd only share this hell  
But you leave, and stains are left on me  
I wish you, I wish you were here  
I wish you, I wish you were here_

_To tell me that something  
Talk me down, down again  
I'm broken  
I'm frozen out  
_

She shifted from the bridge back to a milder version of the chorus. This was her song and the hell she was talking about…well, she was gonna send Joren there. Without her.

_Wish you were here  
Wish you well  
If you'd only share this hell  
But you leave, and stains are left on me_

_Wish you were here  
Wish you well  
If you'd only share this hell  
But you leave, and stains are left on me  
I wish you, I wish you were here  
I wish you, I wish you were here_

She let her last note fade and grinned as a roar came from a few of the guys in the far back. She sent them a winning grin as the noise traveled forwards again. Seemingly the old dogs could learn the new tricks. It was the new dogs that were having problems. She half listened to Ezeko tell her to let the music be heard a little more and Daine totally contradict him by telling her to feel the lyrics more then the music but not forget about either as she rode on the high induced by her singing. Never did she feel so much as herself as when she sang like that. Neal gave her a wink and a fist pump when she walked over to tell him and Merric the next song.

"You're doing great, Kel," he exclaimed. "We're totally gonna be the talk of the ninth grade bands!"

"I thought you achieved that already," she teased. Then leaning in, she told them the next song. Neal's curious face changed rapidly into a grinning one and even Merric had to smile. Neal stayed at the piano and Merric went to the drums.

"Ready, boys?" She asked, eyes twinkling.

"Whenever you are," Neal replied with another wink.

"Here we go then."

And they did.

She started the intro with Merric in the background. Then when Merric gave her his signal, she sang.

_Here I go, go at the speed of sound  
I'm higher than a satellite  
And you're stuck on the ground  
Your cries for help bounce off of me  
So don't expect to see  
See me waiting here to be…  
_

Neal came in perfectly and sang the background for her.

_Be your Wondergirl  
I'm not gonna save you  
Wondergirl  
Go save yourself  
No way; won't go down in your flames  
Because Wondergirl won't save your life  
Won't save your life  
Won't save your life  
_

She looked at Joren when she said the next few lines before bouncing back to the ground. His lips raised away from his teeth in a snarl when he heard them.

_There you go, go looking for a fight  
I've got a heart of steel  
You can't cut and bleed me dry  
My secrets, you can never keep  
So don't expect to see  
See me waiting here to be_

_Be your Wondergirl  
I'm not gonna save you  
Wondergirl  
Go save yourself  
No way; won't go down in your flames  
Because Wondergirl won't save your life  
_

She did a few tricks with her guitar and grinned when it was great with cheers and whistles.

_I never thought it would end this way  
But I can't compete with these addictions that you crave  
Now every touch becomes the enemy  
And I will never be_

_Be your Wondergirl  
Don't say you love me  
Wondergirl  
When you hate yourself  
No way; won't go down in your flames  
Because Wondergirl won't save your life_

_Wondergirl  
I'm not gonna save you  
Wondergirl  
Go save yourself  
No way; won't go down in your flames  
Because Wondergirl won't save your life  
Won't save your life  
Won't save your life  
Tonight_

She ended boldly, strumming the last chords and gesturing at the whole crowd. The applause was thunderous.

* * *

time to tell me what you think! i hope i havent lost you guys

Review replies

**AnnaFantasyGirl - **Lalasa, Jump, and the sparrows might make an appearance, i'm thinking about it. a Tortall Girl's band is a great idea but i wouldnt do it because of the timeline conflict. You should totally go for it though! I'll read and review it!

**Jasper-winked - **thanks. i was worried that i wasnt sticking as much as i could to the plot and ruining Tammy's world :( hope you like the music.

**domsdirtysecret - **well, he only broke the cover and we had an extra so i dont think he replaced it. but it's hanging on the wall. i'm glad you enjoy it. hmmm, well, at least it's good to know you pay attention to ME :D i gotta agree about Wyldon in the first book but i love him in the last one :) dom too :D i dont know, dom might make an appearance. you know, run into each other on a free day... :D

**iwandamonian - **thank you. music is kind of my life too :) what's your favorite band/music?

**Lady Louboutin - **i actually didnt want it to make it a fighting story with raids/war so i tried to make incorporate it into music history instead. i was hoping it worked but i guess not :( you know, i'm not a huge jazz person, mostly classical, and i've only recently started to expand into other genres. so, i only found out about modes like a few months ago, unfortunately. so i totally forgot about them when i did the music theory class/wyldon's testing. good idea though. haha, it was kind of scary when i first read your review because i was like, oh my god, does everyone pick up on this stuff? and then i read that you're a music major and took a deep breath. little amusing story i have :) i have been looking at tabs when i have someone saying something about the music but i will definitely check it out. :D i have to read about the paganini guy. concertos are like killers and i find it almost impossible that someone could play it on only one string (i can hardly cope with one on four). i'm glad you like the story, hope i havent lost you in the late update :)

**Dragonfly257 - **thank you :) i'm glad you liked it. oh dear, i guess i have to go back to the immortal's war bit. it made sense in my head :( but if it helps, think of it like a battle of the bands thing. it's what i based it on.

well, i had to leave out my favorite part of merric exploding on kel :'( but i hope you guys (new and old) like this adaption as well!


	9. Duets And Fights

well guys, after much effort and waiting, here's another update! i hope you all enjoy it. the songs are by my newly discovered fourth favorite band, the script. they're an irish trio from dublin who came to the US on a record deal. you've all (maybe) heard their song breakeven. it's pretty popular.

anyway, i'm sorry it took so long for this. but i hope this makes up for it and that i didnt loose everyone.

**Songs in the chapter**

this is love - the script

walk away - the script (i changed all the female pronouns in this song to male pronouns to make more sense)

* * *

After the Performance class, the next day and the day after that, Instrumental Intergration became a Duet class. Each person was paired with another and they had an entire class to work out a scale, mode, and style until it became a song. Kel was partnered with Esmond. She played a violin and he played the cello. This was completely new to her and she was pleasantly surprised to find out it was fun. And it came easily. When the class ended, she was always sorry to quit. So was Esmond, it seemed – he actually gave her a friendly clap on the shoulder before he put the cello away.

Her last class ended, Kel trotted back to her room, whistling cheerfully. She was tired but a warm shower awaited her and for once she was ahead of everyone else. Maybe she would get to the cafeteria in time to get a good pick of the food there. Nobody ate like teenage boys.

Freshly showered and dressed in casual clothes, she opened her door cautiously, checking overhead for buckets and the floor for anything smelly. Locking up, Kel set off briskly. Two steps and her feet skidded out from under her; down she went on her back. When she finally managed to get to her feet, there was oil in her hair and on her clothes. She hadn't seen the light sheen of oil on the tiled floor in the harsh light of the hallway.

Back into her room she went, to wash and change clothes again. As she dressed she heard the boys leaving for dinner. Great, now all the good food that could have been sitting warmly in her belly was going to be gone.

This time when she left her room she skirted the oil and trudged down the hall. Joren, Vinson, and Zahir were waiting for her near the mess hall.

"I guess you'll learn not to mess with us," sneered Vinson.

"I don't care," she said. "What you're doing is wrong."

"Never mind that," Joren said, glaring at Vinson. "You've had it easy, bitch. That's over. You should have run while you had the chance." Zahir turned to lead the way into the cafeteria.

"You thought you could gotten rid of me by now," she said, her voice ringing clear against the drywall.

Vinson started to turn back but Joren grabbed his shirt and shoved him through the doorway.

Zahir called over his shoulder, "You won't be here come spring, _probationer._"

After that, she was always careful to check everything twice before trusting where she was going.

* * *

School broke for winter break and she returned home. Then it was Christmas and six days later, it was New Year's. Or as her father, who was an avid historian despite his political job, liked to call it, Midwinter. It was nice except for the fact that Kel still had to practice her music because when she returned to the Academy, they were going to put on a mini concert, something many people in Corus viewed as a serious music event. Luckily, she had given her presents to her friends before they had left school and they had done the same for her. On New Year's, because in her family it was tradition to wait for the after Christmas sales to get presents – because her grandmother, a frugal little devious woman, never settled for anything at full price – she opened her gifts.

Neal gave her a book on the very famous lady musicians of the past. To Kel's surprise, Roald had gotten her a glass blown horse no longer then her thumb. When she saw the flattened ears and bared teeth, she laughed, remembering the day she had complained about how mean the horse at the stables she rode at in Corus and unpredictable he was. It looked an awful lot like Peachblossom.

She had thought long and hard about her gifts. Neal was easy: she gave him one of her lucky cats, since he never came into her room with looking at them. "With your mouth," she wrote on her note to him, "you need all the luck you can get."

She gave Salma a little hummingbird pin that she had seen in the market that reminded Kel of her.

Roald had been a source of worry. She thought it might be a little weird to give him a present, but she really wanted to. She gave him a small Yamani painting of a bridge over a forest stream. The colors were dreamlike: grays, faded blues and greens, stark browns. It always gave her a sense of peace and since she had discovered Roald's near infatuation with the Yamanis, she hoped he would like it too.

A package arrived in the mail for her. There was no return address, or name, or card, to indicate who it was from. She unwrapped the crimson paper from around it and opened the box inside. Inside that was an amp. Not a very big one, but a very very good one. It was made for guitars, basses, and keyboards.

Who would give her such a thing? No one in her family claimed it as something from them. Who else could it be? It certainly wasn't Neal or any of her friends from outside of the Academy.

But someone with money and good musical taste knew what she needed and wanted her to have it. A little voice in the back of her mind that spent way too much time with Neal said, _too bad they can't get you off probation._

* * *

The next semester started a week later and she returned to the Academy. A flock of sparrows had moved to a small clearing underneath the ledge of the dormatories and often they would stop and preen on her window sill. After a few days of that, she started to lay some of the buns she snuck out of the cafeteria out for them.

In late January, a week before their performance, they started to play basketball in PE. Kel was surprisingly adept at it, never having played much. One day, she was teamed up with a bunch of boys she never really hung out with and Seaver. Joren and Vinson were on the opposite team. Zahir was sitting on the side, being an odd man out.

Because of his quiet disposition, he was targeted by the two bullies. Everytime he received the ball, they ganged up on him, resorting to dirty tricks in order to overpower him.

One time, Kel was nearby when she heard them whispering insults to him.

"Come on, Tasride!" Joren jeered. "Try and get around us."

"Betcha can't," Vinson followed up. Kel had had enough. Running toward them, she "accidentally" bumped Joren with her hip, sending him into Vinson who fell.

"Shot it!" Someone called to Seaver from across the court as the other team began to swarm over. Searver needed no prompting and sent the ball flying in a perfect arc into the hoop, barely making a sound as it swished through the basket. He looked at Kel who smiled with a wink and walked back to their side of the court.

That evening, she, Neal, and Roald decided to study in Neal's room. They had just settled down and opened their books when someone knocked on the open door. It was Seaver, his books under one arm. Behind him stood Merric's cousin, Faleron.

"I need help with my math homework," Seaver told Kel, his dark eyes meeting hers squarely. "Would you mind?"

Kel shook her head.

"You got space for me?" Faleron wanted to know. "I need to pick Neal's mind for the paper Mr. Myles wants us to write."

They had excuses that first time, but apparently making up fresh ones after that was too much work. Merric came with them the next night and gave no explanation at all. The newcomers became a regular addition to Neal's study group.

* * *

They changed partners in Duets and now Kel was with Neal. The objective had changed and now it was to pick a subject and write a song each, one for it and the other against it. Neal smiled wickedly at Kel who groaned, knowing what Neal was going to say before he said it. He was a hopeless romantic so when he chose the subject of "love" before anyone else did, she knew they were stuck with it.

"Can't we write about something else not so generic?" Kel begged him even as her words fell on deaf ears.

"I'll be the happy one, you be the sad one." He told her, ignoring her protests.

"Fine," she grumbled and started to tune her guitar since they had been allowed to go back to their strong suits.

They were given half a class to complete the assignment and then Ezeko and Wyldon called on her and Neal to go first. Neal made a beeline for the grand piano as she made her way to the drum set in the corner.

"Queenscove, you first," he commanded. Kel blew her bangs out of her face and pinned them back with a clip before starting after making sure Neal was ready. He waited four measures before starting to play the piano and another four before singing.

_It's in the eyes of the children  
As they leave for the very first time  
And it's in the heart of the soldier  
As he takes a bullet on the front line  
It's in the face of a mother  
As she takes the force of a blow  
And it's in the hands of the father yeah  
As he works his fingers to the bone yeah  
_

Their mics were pretty loud so it was easy to hear them and Kel had to admit, Neal had a way with words.

_I'm standing under a white flag oh  
Can you see me oh, can you see me oh  
I'm standing for everything we have oh  
Can you hear me oh, can you hear me  
_

Something in the song created a connection between them and their audience and Kel started to enjoy herself. Secretly. She would never tell Neal that she actually _liked_ singing about love.

_This is why we do it this is worth the pain  
This is why we bow down and get back up again  
This is where the heart lies, this is from above  
Love is this, this is love_

Love is why we do it love is worth the pain  
Love is why we fall down, get back up again  
Love is where the heart lies love is from above  
Love is this, this is love

Being a girl, Kel had to smile. Boy, wasn't Neal just a perfect boyfriend? He could write awesome lyrics and songs, he was tall, smart, cute, and totally funny. If any of her old friends in the Yamani Islands saw him…she wondered what Yukimi would say.

_This is love_

_This is love_

_This is love_

It's in the soul of a city  
What it does after it crumbles and burns  
And it's in the blood of a hero  
To know where he goes he may never return yeah

I'm standing under a white flag oh  
Can you see me oh, can you see me oooh  
I'm standing for everything we have oh  
Can you hear me oh, can you hear me

This is why we do it this is worth the pain  
This is why we bow down, get back up again  
This is where the heart lies this is from above  
Love is this, this is love  
Love is why we do it love is worth the pain  
Love is why we fall down, get back up again  
Love is where the heart lies love is from above  
Love is this, this is love

Neal glanced at her from the piano and one of his eyes closed in the quickest of winks before he continued, singing with all his air. __

This is love, this is love...

If you could be anywhere that you wanted to be  
With anyone that you wanted to be with  
Do anything that you wanted to do  
What would it be and who would it be with you  
Time flies but you're the pilot  
It moves real fast but you're the driver  
You may crash and burn sometimes

This is why we do it this is worth the pain  
This is where we bow down get back up again  
This is where the heart lies this is from above  
Love is this, this is love  
Love is why we do it, love is worth the pain  
Love is why we fall down get back up again  
Love is where the heart lies love is from above  
Love is this, this is love

This is love!  


Once the song ended, Ezeko asked Neal where he got the inspiration to write the song and he went on a tirade about love and it's romanticism and all the things that represent it. Finally, Wyldon spoke up.

"Thank you, Queenscove." He interjected. "Now, Mindelan, if you please?"

She nodded and she and Neal switched places. Now she was on the piano and he was on the drums. He spun a stick around in his hand and winked at her once he was comfortable. She took a deep breath and plunged in, recalling emotions she hadn't felt in a long time.

_I don't know why he's with me  
I only brought him trouble since the day he met me  
If I was him, by now I would have left me  
I would have walked away  
But now I've broken away  
Somehow instead he forgave me  
He said a man's got to do what he's got to do  
Even if it means he denied himself the truth  
Cause when you're in too deep you wake up when it's too late,  
You've fallen in love in the worst way  
And if you don't go now then you'll stay  
Cause I'll never let you leave, never let you breathe  
Cause if you're looking for heaven, baby it sure as hell ain't me_

She closed her eyes, really digging herself into the music. It seemed like only yesterday, her best friend was walking into her room crying in happiness or sadness – Kel still hadn't figured it out – to Kel about her boyfriend.

_So walk away  
Walk away  
Walk away, oh  
Save yourself from the heartache, oh  
Go now before it's too late  
So walk away  
Walk away  
Walk away, oh  
Save yourself from the heartache, oh  
Go now before it's too late  
But still he stays_

There was a pause as if they were waiting on the edge of a cliff before taking the plunge.

_He's standing in the heart of darkness  
Saying I know you got a soul even though you're heartless  
How could any man in their right mind be so blind,  
To find something this safe  
Instead of walking with me he should have walked away_

Neal echoed her and a few boys in the audience began harmonizing absently.

_He finds color in the darkest places  
He finds beauty in the saddest of faces  
For such a groovy and headstrong city boy  
Could've had the world but he's fallen in love in the worst way  
And if you don't go now then you'll stay  
Cause I'll never let you leave, never let you breathe  
Cause if you're looking for heaven, baby it sure as hell ain't me_

So walk away  
Walk away  
Walk away, oh  
Save yourself from the heartache, oh  
Go now before it's too late  
So walk away  
Walk away  
Walk away, oh  
Save yourself from the heartache, oh  
Go now before it's too late  
But still he stays  
But still he stays

Neal dropped out and she plunged into her solo.

_I don't know why he's with me  
I only brought him trouble since the day he met me  
If I was him, by now I would have left me  
I would have walked away_

He rejoined her and Kel looked up from the piano and was surprised to see some of the boys absently harmonizing on their instruments.

_But you've fallen in love in the worst way  
And if you don't go now then you'll stay  
Cause I'll never let you leave, never let you breathe  
Cause if you're looking for heaven, baby it sure as hell ain't me_

So walk away  
Walk away  
Walk away, oh  
Save yourself from the heartache, oh  
Go now before it's too late  
So walk away  
Walk away  
Walk away, oh  
Save yourself from the heartache, oh

_Go now before it's too late  
But still he stays, eh  
But still he stays, eh  
I'm saying walk away  
Yeah  
I'm saying walk away  
Save yourself from the heartache, go now before it's too late  
But still he stays  
Still he stays  
Yeah, he stays  
He stays_

There was a smattering of claps after the song ended, too exuberant to be polite and Neal smiled at her.

"Mindelan," Wyldon said, staring at her through unreadable eyes.

"Yes sir?" She asked nervously.

"Where did your inspiration for this song come from?"

She floundered, unsure. She should have expected the question when Neal was asked it and made up some sort of response in her head. After all, she couldn't rightly explain the story to a bunch of _boys_. They wouldn't get it. The silence stretched on and finally she formed some sort of coherent idea in her head.

"It comes from something that happened to my friend. I helped her go through it," she explained. Wyldon nodded and called up the next group. Neal and Kel sat down and Esmond gave her a thumbs up while Merric, who still, while not unfriendly, wasn't very warm with Kel, gave them a nod of approval.

* * *

The next day in PE, Tkaa told them in a very grave voice that they were going to learn wrestling. Kel could almost see the grins stretch across Joren and Vinson's faces. Zahir remained expressionless, like a Yamani, but Kel could see something in his face that indicated something wasn't going to go well. Kel smiled inwardly. She supposed they didn't know that she _did_ have three older brothers and that she had taken karate in the Islands. But she could keep that her little secret.

She had to wonder what Tkaa was thinking. Boys wrestling three days before a concert that was a serious part of their grade but who was she to say how Tkaa was going to run his class. Tkaa had them form two lines then face each other. Kel found herself facing Zahir.

The Bazhir's dark eyes blazed as they went through a few combinations. Zahir was polite in his blows, giving nothing away. Then Tkaa pulled out three mats for free wrestling. Two were taken quickly and the third was a little out of the way. Zahir grabbed her arm and dragged her to it.

"It's time for you to go back behind the veil!" Zahir hissed as he faced off with her. A few of the boys, Joren and Vinson included, gathered round, blocking them off from Tkaa's view.

Zahir lunged at her and she ducked. He threw punch and punch at her until she was forced to kick him in the leg to make him back off.

Neal saw the boys bunching up and came to Kel's defense, dragging the boys out of his way. When Vinson hit him from behind, Roald yanked Vinson off him. Merric threw himself onto Joren's back. Faleron and Seaver went for Zahir. The battle ended only when Tkaa got a few of the older boys to pull them apart. He then informed them that since the class was a wrestling one, they were only getting detention for disobeying his instructions.

"It's not fair," Merric grumbled as they sat down at the desks and prepared to write essays on their misbehavior. "Zahir started it."

"But you guys didn't have to pitch in," Kel reminded him. They had started talking a little so she was little comfortable with him. Privately, she had actually wished they hadn't intervened just so she might have been able to pound Zahir into the ground for once when it was allowed.

Merric glowered at her, and Kel waited for the explosion. Instead he shook his head, smiling wryly. "Don't you get mad about anything?" He demanded in amused exasperation. "You know they call you names behind you back."

"I do," she said, pulling out a pencil. "But only about things that matter. Besides, haven't you noticed how tiring losing your temper is?"

"I've noticed it gets you punishments," the redheaded boy replied with a shrug. "Maybe it's the same thing."

"Well, you're tired at the end of both, so there you are," Kel said practically.

* * *

well, what did you guys think? satisfactory?

Review replies

**SilverGoldsun - .Day - **lucky duck! i think cassidy's voice, the singer for hey monday is so pretty!

**Dragonfly257 - **thanks for the compliments on my musical taste! i've spent a while developing it :) i'm still not really clear why the Immortal's war is confusing. maybe because i wrote it and it makes sense in my head? what's confusing about it?

**AnnaFantasyGirl - **i caught that "blonde page" error too. i think i changed it, not too sure. hope your GCSE went well! or is going well? it's been so you for the encouragement too.

**silver princess - **thank you!

**Jasper-winked - **cool! does that mean we have similar music taste then? if you have everything on your ipod? cause i do too :) except for these ones, i need to buy these. thanks for sticking with me. i hope you liked the chapter.

**domsdirtysecret - **everything is great with me and better now that i've started this story again. i miss our conversations! get on aim sometime soon!

**Alice - **thank you very much! hey monday is an awesome band, gotta agree. so sorry about the late update.

**Aria657 - **thank you, i hope you're still there and that this is a good chapter in your eyes.

**misguidedXghost - **guitar tricks are usually swinging a guitar around your body and still keeping up with a song, or playing behind your head, different things to make you look cool basically. i hope that helped. thanks!

Well guys, "here we are, trembling on the brink of a new year." Literally :) kudos to anyone who can tell me who said that!


	10. Morals and Pranks

there are no songs to this chapter, it's mostly a filler but a good one so dont not read :D

* * *

The two days past quickly before the performance and the day of, Kel was giddy with excitement. There was no class work so everyone was free to help set up the stage, coil cables, check amps, tune instruments, sound check, and all the minor and major details that came with preparing for a concert. She had anticipated her first experience of a concert at the Academy with excitement but was very disappointed to find that the freshmen had to stay back stage and take care of the equipment and sound. The actual performing was left to the sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

She decided that the worst part of it was constantly being under the eyes of Mr. Oakbridge and Ezeko. They missed nothing, either on the stage or in the wings. No one was allowed to relax for so much as a breath as long as the concert lasted and the audiences cheered. Kel would have loved the chance to even peek outside and see the gatherings of people she had heard the Academy was so famous for drawing would have liked to see more the hot, sweaty upper classmen and nervous, sweaty freshmen.

It was also annoying to have to wait the long hours until their dinner. Only after the last high school performance were they released to dinner. The alumni, usually famous and well known, got to perform then and though Kel would have liked to stay and see them, she was too exhausted to think of nothing but eating and sleeping.

The day after was a long day where they had to review everything from the night before and say what could have gone better, what was done well, and what should never be repeated. Even in the academic classes, they discussed the night before. Only in P.E., were they given an activity that did not relate to the performance.

* * *

The week's detention, plus their usual academic and musical homework, plus the extra practice, plus whatever else they had to do, left them all too worn out for anything but class work. Kel knew that was temporary. Joren, Vinson, and Garvey had not given up their harassment of the freshmen completely: during the day, they took every chance to bump, casually push, or thump the younger boys. On their first night without detention, Kel changed from her dinner clothes into sweats and a comfortable t-shirt, and went to Neal's room to study as usual. Merric, Seaver, Roald, Faleron, and Neal himself were already there when she came in. Cleon arrived not long after she did. He sat with Neal at the desk, talking about a paper the juniors had to write for Mr. Yayin.

The room settled into its usual library-like quiet. Everyone whispered to keep from disturbing the others. Kel, Seaver, and Merric worked on the day's math together for a while. When Kel knew she wouldn't be needed right away, she rose and stretched. Then she casually walked out of the room, shouldering a backpack.

Neal followed her and closed the door behind him. "I'd like a word," he said.

Kel looked at him. "I'll be right back," she began.

"You're not fooling me, you know," he informed her. "Every night, when you don't have detention and Joren and his pack are being a little rowdy, you take a little walk. Sometimes you come back just fine and sometimes, _you're_ the butt of the prank. You go looking for trouble!"

"Neal," she said, "keep your voice down."

"Why? You don't seem to care that everyone knows its you who plays the pranks on them!" It was an accusation, but he lowered his voice to say it. His face turned red with the effort.

She sighed. "That's not it at all."

"The what _is_ it?" he demanded hotly. "Are you some kind of-of trouble maker?"

Kel shook her head. "Not hardly, since I tell them it was me."

"Then what is it? I helped you with the other ones!" cried Neal, voice cracking. "I'm your friend and what you're doing isn't something you should do alone!"

"This isn't the time or the place-"

"It is if I say it is," he snapped. "I mean it, Kel. I swear by God, if you try to leave, I'll call Salma myself. I'll tell the Stump." He stood between her and Joren's usual library, arms akimbo, his green eyes mulish.

Kel ran her fingers through her hair. He really would be difficult about it; she knew him well enough to be sure of that. And she wanted someone to know she didn't play the pranks just for revenge or that she liked it. "It's that stupid concept they have of 'earning-your-way'. They think it's this tradition they have to keep going and that makes it right to bully others. That's just plain wrong."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, wonderful. You're on a hero's quest to get rid of bullies."

Kel glared at him. "Someone has to!"

"And if this wish of yours is so _glorious_, why haven't you asked anyone for help, hm? We're all members of society here, aren't we? If you aren't just having fun, why not ask for help?"

Kel planted her fists on her hips. "I asked you and Roald, didn't I?"

He waved that aside. "That was for getting the stuff, not the actual implementation."

"Fine then," she snapped. "You want the truth? Here it is. Because I had no reason to think I would get it!"

"What?" said a startled voice nearby.

Kel and Neal turned toward his door. At some point during their argument the boys inside had eased it open a crack to listen.

"Meric, you idiot!" They heard Faleron say. The door opened wide. They all stood there, even Roald, looking at Neal and trying not to look at Kel.

"Well, she as good as said we agree with, with Joren and his pack," stammered Merric.

Kel inspected each of them. "None of you ever said anything against it," she replied, picking her words carefully. "Even when it was you being bullied"- she rested her eyes on Seaver and Merric –"once it was over, you didn't say how it was wrong and should be stopped. You just came here, to study with us. I figured I was the only one here who thought it was all stupid and wrong. I thought maybe I saw it differently because I'm a girl. _I _could do something but I didn't think you all would."

Neal turned away, running his hands through his hair.

"Hold up," protested Cleon. "You can't go fighting with them about this. That'd be like snitching."

"So I should let this go because if I don't, then everyone thinks I'm a suck up?" she asked.

Cleon, Roald, Faleron, all nodded.

"No," she said flatly. "I don't care what people think about me." She met each boy's eyes. "Boys like to fight things out, I get that. You all need to prove you're big and manly and strong. But Joren and his friends are doing it differently. They're proving they're strong and manly at other's expense. _That_ is just dead wrong. Forgive me if I don't conform to society but if I see someone hurting someone else, I'm gonna do something about it. I'm not going to wait until it affects me before I do something to stop it." She stopped, breathing a little hard. "I don't mean to lecture. You can all laugh and say I'm a silly girl – but when I see something wrong, there's gonna be change." She looked at Neal. "Joren and his buddies are out there doling out pain to every freshmen. I want to stop them."

"They'll get you back," Roald remarked quietly.

"I've got older brothers," Kel replied with a grim good humor. "I know how boys think. And if all else fails, I can sick them on Joren. So if we're all finished here"

She walked through them and down the hall, turning into the corridor that let to the library. Running footsteps approached. She turned to find Neal.

Kel stared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

He looked down at her for a long moment. "You're the oldest fourteen-year-old I've ever met," he said finally.

Exasperated, Kel put her fists on her hips. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Neal thrust his hands into the pockets of the jeans he wore that night. "It means I'm trying to justify to myself that the best lesson I've ever had on morals came from someone two years younger then me. When you put it that way, well, I guess I'd _better_ help."

Kel shook her head. "Alright then. Let's get cracking."

They didn't have to walk for long before they found Joren and Vinson pushing Quinden up and down the stairs with Garvey watching. Kel took off her bag and pulled out a punch of small packets of flour. Then she and Neal practiced their aim on the three boys. Quinden made his escape as the air became chockfull of flour dust. Vinson, Joren, and Garvey were soon completely covered in white powder and struggling to retaliate when a man, a _very _tall man, walked into their midst just as Neal was about to throw the last packet. Everyone froze. The man, dressed in a white flowing shirt and black pants, walked by the three boys without a second glance. Neal hurriedly hid the packet behind his back as the man walked by. Just as he reached the stairs, he frowned and turned around, pointing at the three boys.

"You've got a little white right," he motioned to the general vicinity of their faces, "around there."

With that, he made his way up the steps and vanished as Joren, Vinson, and Garvey ran. It took Kel and Neal a few moments to direct all the flour into an out of the way corner.

"Will he report us?" Kel asked as they started to make their way back to the dorms.

Neal chuckled. "Mr. Numair? Nah, he probably doesn't remember what just happened, once he gets to his workroom."

"Numair," she murmured to herself with a frown. The name seemed familiar.

"Numair Salmalin," replied Neal. "Only the best instrument repairer in the country. He'll be teaching an elective soon about repairing instruments. This year maybe, I don't remember."

"He's Daine's-" Kel started to say "lover," but didn't when she saw Neal frown. "Friend?" She supplied hastily.

Neal sighed and nodded. "He's too old for her, you know."

Kel gave him a sympathetic pat on the back as they headed back to the others. Neal opened his door with a grin when they arrived. "Hello, my ducks," he caroled as they walked in. "Did you miss us?"

* * *

The next night, when Kel stood to go through the halls, Neal closed his book and stood with her. Faleron hesitated, then got to his feet, as did Merric. Seaver was already opening the door.

Kel looked at the other boys. Cleon had returned to study with them; his open, direct face was confused. Roald met Kel's gaze and shook his head, a wistful expression in his eyes.

_Poor Roald, _Kel thought. His life would be so much easier if he didn't worry about what other people might say. She smiled at him and led the others outside.

There was no sign of Joren and his cronies that night, or the next. The third night they found Joren and Vinson in a courtyard, forcing Esmond of Nicoline to recite the minor chord progressions and hitting him when he didn't answer fast enough. The two juniors looked up, saw the size of their company, and fled. Neal slung an arm around Esmond's shoulders. "Wanna join our study group?"

* * *

They had a brief, and actually satisfying, water balloon fight with Joren and Vinson the night after their meeting with Esmond. It ended with them running out of ammunition and leaving to let Joren and Vinson clean up. The night after that, Cleon put his book aside with a sigh as Kel got up. "I'd better come along to keep you kids out of trouble," he said with a grin at the taller Neal. Roald and Esmond, who had joined them, stayed to work as Kel and her supporters patrolled the halls. With the addition of Cleon to the group, the prank wars ended. He and Neal were too big and versed in pranks, and the others too many. Joren, Vinson, and their friends decided to find other ways to entertain themselves until spring.

* * *

so the quote was from myles, on the first day of classes, for those of you who were wondering.

**Aria657 - **thanks for the compliment about my taste in my music! i have been trying to develop it :)

**AnnaFantasyGirl - **i did break my writer's block! really? english poetry comparison? what do you do in that? just curious. i'm great, thanks for asking. how about yourself? my music is going great, i learned how to play secrets by onerepublic and i'm learning the vivaldi cello double and i can't stop playing either! nina by g.b. pergolesi is also stuck in my fingers :) my band is doing okay, we're getting ready to play another concert even though we had one like two weeks ago and it was the worst one of my life :( i suck at composing too. i tried composing a simple song and it ended up in 5/6 time. go figure

hey guys, love to hear from more of you! hope you liked the chapter :D


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